"I have poor posture...What should I do???"

"Do you think I have bad posture?"  I've gotten this question from a number of people in the last few weeks.  This is always a tough question for me to answer because there is not a clear definition for "Good Posture."

This is good posture!  If you are not stuck like this for a long time!

For those that read what I post, you'll know that I like definitions (because it helps to clear any confusion!)  I remember my biomechanics professor asking our class to comment on his posture as he moved through a number of positions on stage while doing his lecture (from slumping, to slouching to lying to twisting, and of course most were exaggerated).  None of which the class thought was "good posture" (in fact, most of us thought that all were bad posture).  His answer was that ALL those positions were fine postures (he did not qualify them as good posture, but he emphasized that none were bad).  His reason was that he spent very little time in any of those whacky positions, thus his spine and associated muscles did not have to deal with strain and stresses for long periods of time. 

Therefore, my definition for good posture is any position that you are not in for a long period of time.   So for those who ask me, "Do I have bad posture?"  my answer is; "Move around a bit...well that looks good to me!" 

Stability balls - If they do not train stability, what are they good for?

This IS NOT a stability exercise! (its dangerous)

When you walk into the gym, you see loads of people using those large beach ball type things for various (sometimes crazy) exercises.  You probably have heard them referred to as stability balls (or Swiss balls), but the interesting things is that they really do not help when you are training for stability.

In previous posts, I have referred to the definition of stability as "an absence of motion."  When we are talking about stability and exercise, we should be referring to stability of the lumbar spine or low back.  Most people when they are training using these stability balls you will notice they are waving their arms or are shaking like crazy trying to keep balance. This violates the definition of STABILITY!

So if you are not training stability, what are you training?  The answer is that you are training BALANCE (or proprioception for those that understand the term).  The best way to describe balance would be an example of standing on one foot.  As you stand on one foot, you probably find you are swaying and your ankle will roll in and out.  You ARE NOT stable, but if you haven't fallen over, you are balanced.  Now, close your eyes.  Why is it so much harder?  Because your brain cannot give you visual feedback in relation to your orientation in space.  You rely strictly on feedback from the bones, ligaments and little muscles in your foot.  This is termed proprioception, and is different from balance. 

So most of these stability devices (balls, discs etc) should be referred to as BALANCE devices.  When is it appropriate to use these balance devices?  That depends on they type of training you are doing and your goals for training.  If you are looking at training to become more STABLE, this is not the way to go.  If you are looking to improve your balance, these devices may be appropriate.