THE PILLAR OF GOOD POSTURE (PART 1)

ASSOCIATING GLUTEUS MAXIMUS (PILLAR 1)

 To re-introduce efficient muscular integration of the pillars of posture, we will have to take a progression that starts from the pelvis first.  The pelvis is the base in which the spine will initially stabilize from when we are coming from a position of dysfunction and attempt to introduce function. Under ideal circumstances of biomechanical efficiency, the leverage point for posture will primarily be the recruitment of the transverse abdominis.  

The TVA is a muscle that will carry most of the load, in terms of stability, whenever we are acting functionally.  However, the cultural influence of our time has taken us out of function.  If we take the context of how imbalanced our body is from environmental influence, it will then become virtually impossible to do this.  

For beginners, the hip flexor complex will significantly shunt the TVA because of its influence upon the lumbo-pelvic region.  When the hip flexors tighten from countless hours of sitting, they begin to wire in a dysfunction known as an anterior pelvic tilt.  This dysfunction can be spotted usually when sway is present within a person’s lower back.  When an anterior pelvic tilt is in full effect, the hip flexors will be dominant to a point where the TVA by itself will not be capable of overriding the dysfunction in the entire lumbopelvic region.  

Since the hips become so far out of balance anteriorly, the lower fibres of the abdominals go to a point of length-tension that make it an impossibility to functionally engage the TVA.  At this stage of muscular function, the only way we could combat the dominant hip flexors is if we incorporated an activation of their antagonists to promote their elongation. In this specific situation, it would primarily be the gluteus maximus.  

Once the gluteal systems are conditioned to work functionally, they will communicate to the nervous system that the hip flexors no longer need to be tight.  Over the course of repetition, the hip flexors will become neutral.  This will then allow the lower structures of the abdominals to “wake up,” setting the tone for better TVA function.  Although this is a pivotal step in introducing the TVA, the pillar of the T-spine function will need to be implemented to complete the cycle.