Ideal Body Alignment: Know Its Importance

Introduction:

One should know how to move, sit and stand properly, which can help them stay physically active, preventing bone injuries and various disabilities. Body alignment refers to how the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles connect and line up with each other. Body alignment is the most important thing regarding body mechanics and posture. Proper body alignment gives less stress to the spine and helps the person to have good posture. In turn, good posture helps to limit the forward curvature of the upper back of the body, which is caused by bone injuries of the spine.

Why Is an Ideal Body Alignment Important?

• Proper body alignment allows a person to perform different tasks in a day to day activities safely in a way where a person cannot exert the necessary energy from the body.

• If a body is not in proper alignment, the muscles and joints will compensate for the position. Thus, it increases the fatigue and strain of muscles and joints. This strain in muscles and joints causes injury during exercise and musculoskeletal problems.

• Proper body alignment helps reduce stress on the muscles and joints that enable a person to perform activities throughout the day, like sitting, standing, walking, climbing, bending, etc.

What Movements Should a Person Avoid to Keep Their Body in Proper Alignment?

• Persons should avoid a head forward posture and slumped posture.

• Should avoid bending forward from the waist.

• Persons should not do movements that twist the spine to the point of stress.

• People should avoid bending forward and twisting the trunk while coughing, sneezing, lifting, or vacuuming.

• Should avoid reaching up for a thing on a high self that loses the balance of the person and causes a fall.

• Persons with osteoporosis and broken bones in the spine should avoid exercise that has bending movements. Some of the exercises are sit-ups, stomach crunches, and toe touches.

• Some sports and physical activities like yoga, tennis, and golf should be taken into consideration as these activities involve bending and twisting movements. It is safe to bend by keeping their back flat.

What Is the Role of Good Posture in Body Alignment?

Good posture plays a vital role in body alignment, as the persons hold themselves while standing, sitting, bending, and some of the physical activities which affect their musculoskeletal structures. It is essential to maintain good posture for proper body alignment. There are various tips for good posture while standing, sitting, bending, climbing, lying down, and other day-to-day activities which can maintain proper body alignment of the person.

While Sitting

• When sitting on a chair or table, the person should keep their hips and knees on the same level, and their feet should be flat on the floor. This position makes the person in a natural inward curvature of the lower back and an upright posture of the upper back and tall.

• While sitting on a soft couch, a person should use a pillow to support their lower back.

• While standing up from a chair, their hips should move forward and use their leg muscles to lift themselves.

• While driving, they should use a headrest.

• Using a footrest when sitting for a long time helps in reducing stress on the muscles.

While Standing

• A person should keep their head high, chin in, and shoulder blades in a pinched position.

• Should maintain the natural curvature of the lower back by gently pulling the abdomen in and flattening it.

• Should point their feet straight with the knees forward.

• While standing for a long time in one place, switching the legs by putting either of the legs on a stool or in an open cabinet helps in reducing the fatigue of the back and legs.

While Climbing Stairs

• A person should keep the head high, chin in, shoulder blades pinched, and abdomen should be pulled in gently.

• Knees should face forward and bent slightly, and the feet should be pointed straight.

• A person should keep their feet a few inches apart instead of putting one foot directly in front of the other, which will line up under the hip of the same side.

While Bending and Turning

• A person should keep their feet flat, and their upper arm should touch the ribs of the respective sides. In addition, they should bend only with knees and hips, which makes the back straight.

• While turning, the feet should be moved along with the body. The nose, knees, and toes should be in the same direction. The spine should not be twisted.

While Getting Into Bed

• One pillow under the head and one pillow between the knees should be kept to align the spine and increase comfort while lying on the side.

• While lying on the back, one pillow should be under the head, and one pillow should be under the knees. In persons with heads forward, two pillows to support the neck make them feel comfortable.

While Getting Out of the Bed

• A person should keep both arms in front of them.

• The abdomen should be pulled in while rolling on one side, and the hands should be used to raise the upper body by carefully placing the feet on the floor in one motion.

While Coughing or Sneezing

• People should develop the habit of supporting their back with one hand while coughing or sneezing.

• The hands should be placed behind the back or on the thighs to prevent the spine from sudden injury due to bending movement.

While Pushing and Pulling

• While doing activities like vacuum cleaning and mopping, the person's feet should be apart from one foot.

• The person should not bend forward from the waist.

• The weight should be lifted from foot to foot in a rocking movement.

While Lifting and Carrying

• People should not carry any objects, packages, or things over 10 pounds.

• While lifting objects from the floor, first, they should kneel on one knee and get support from the surrounding table or chair if needed.

Conclusion:

An ideal body alignment helps the person maintain their routine physical activities effectively. If there is any doubt regarding posture and body alignment, contacting healthcare providers is the next choice.