Neanderthal No More Part I

Testosterone Nation - Neanderthal No More Part I
The complete guide to fixing your caveman posture!
by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson

Disclaimer: What you're about to read is some very technical, very geeky stuff, but don't panic if you don't have your kinesiology degree just yet. In the future articles in this series, Eric and Mike will break it all down for you and show you how to fix your posture and improve your physique. For now, take off that poseur trucker hat and put on your thinking cap!


Do the Evolution, Baby

Evolution is defined as 'a process in which something passes by degrees to a more advanced or mature stage.' Think back to prehistoric times and try to envision your ancestors. You probably have an image conjured up of a Neanderthal wearing a loincloth, grunting at females, killing his own food, and hunching over a fire to stay warm. His DNA endured century after century, guaranteeing that you're equally hardcore, right?

Then again, you wear boxer briefs, utter cheesy pickup lines at every woman you see, hunt for your food at the local Stop 'N Shop, and hunch over a computer all day. In other words, the only trait you share with this prehistoric badass is your pathetic S-shaped posture: rounded shoulders, forward head posture, exaggerated kyphosis, anterior pelvic tilt, excessive lordosis, internally rotated femurs, and externally rotated, flat feet.

Well, it's time to once and for all dissociate yourself from the Neanderthals by correcting these structural problems. We're here to help you do just that. This four-part series will outline the most common postural distortions and provide a comprehensive program to correct them."

Part 1
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

Spineless

Spineless

Not many people have strong healthy spines any more. I call them spineless not to attack their character but because their spines do not lock to their pelvis and seem to move quite independent of the pelvis and hips. Their spines are kind of loopy, slumped, and lack that elegant curve of proper lordosis.

Endurance athletes are very prone to spine pathology or pain. More than 40% of bicyclists complain of neck problems and a bit more have weak and sore lower backs. They carry their pelvis at a forward tilt, as do long-distance runners. (As an aside, nearly half of all bicyclists have sore knees. And many of the male elite riders have compressed vasculature in the place where you don't want to have it.)

A lot of spinal disfunction is from poor posture, though this does not necessarily lead to a perception of pain in all subjects. Again, bicyclists tend to compress the forward portion of the disks of their spine from long periods of flexion. The disks are elastic and material flows from the point of pressure at the front to the rear. Eventually, the spine can take a "set" in this direction and cause a stooped forward look to dedicated bicyclists, who also have necks that go the other way through the same forces acting at the rear of the cervical disks from keeping their head up. Poor bicyclists. A sad group really. I should write a Top Ten Reasons Not to Be a Long-Distance Cyclist some day.

But, much of the problem is that our sports and our exercises cause more spinal problems than they solve. And this brings me to the point...