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POSTURE CHECK – Quick assessment tool gives you a good look at your fitness level
Tom Weede, 24-Hour Fitness Axis, Nov. 2004
The human body is a complex integrated design not a mish-mash of parts about as understandable as The Matrix sequels. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has pioneered a simple kinetic chain assessment that clearly demonstrates flexibility, balance and core strength. The test involves just 2 moves—a 2-legged squat with the hands raised overhead, and a 1-legged squat with the hands on the hips and 1 leg slightly raised.
“The 2-legged overhead squat is designed to give you a look at total-body flexibility, as well as coordination of all the muscles,” says NASM educator Rodney Corn, MA, NASM-PES, CSCS. And by increasing the balance challenge, the 1-legged squat (done on both sides) magnifies any compensation, weakness or muscle imbalance even more.
Squatting—preferably done barefoot, and lowering to the height of a normal chair—reveals the flexibility of ankles, knees and hips. Raising the arms tests the flexibility of the lats and pecs, the main muscles of the upper body. “The joints should stay in line”, Corn explains. “If you see a joint deviate, you know that the muscles around that joint aren’t working the way they’re supposed to?’
The assessment can be used before every workout to track progress. It also shows how joints in the body interact, and how imbalances in one area can cause pain and injury in another.
THE FOOT BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE...
The assessment looks at kinetic chain checkpoints:
- Foot and ankle: Should stay in a relatively neutral position, pointed straight.
Compensations: foot externally rotates, arch flattens out or heels lift.
- Knees: Should maintain a neutral position, in line with the hip and the second or third toe. Compensations: knees move inward or outward.
- Hips: Should stay neutral, with lumbar spine in a neutral curve.
Compensations: hips go into posterior tilt with lumbar spine in flexion, or hips go into anterior tilt with lumbar spine in extension.
- Arms: Upper arm should cover the ears.
Compensation: arms move forward.
Some of the usual suspects when it comes to poor results on the NASM kinetic chain assessment are tightness in the calf, adductors, hip flexors and lats, Corn says. To tackle these problem areas, use the stretches described below.
STRETCHING YOUR WEAKEST LINK
HIP FLEXORS: Place yourself in a lunge position with the back knee touching the ground directly under that hip bone (leg is perpendicular to the floor) and your forward foot directly under the forward knee. Rest hands on hips and go into a posterior tilt (squeeze buttocks and tuck it under as if pouring a bucket of water out the back of your hips). Gently lean forward and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
LATS: Position yourself about 2 feet from a wall and place the outside of 1 hand on a wall straight above your head. Go into a posterior tilt and lean your chest toward the wall and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
CALF: Face a wall and place your outstretched hands on the wall. Put 1 leg behind you, with toes pointing straight ahead and heel on the ground. Straighten your back leg by squeezing your quads, and keep the trunk leaning toward the wall so you don’t overarch your back. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
ADDUCTORS: Stand with feet just outside shoulder-width apart and go into a posterior tilt. Keeping your trunk and chest tall, lean your weight over toward 1 leg as if doing a side lunge and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
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