When you first start an exercise program or even if you are working out by yourself or with a trainer you have some pre-existing conditions that affect your posture. If your posture is showing signs of rounded shoulders, flat back, pronated feet, your ability to reach optimal fitness is greatly reduced if these pre-exsisting conditions are not corrected before you start actual training with weights. This will also increase the risk of injury if they are not corrected. It is imperative that health and fitness professionals emphasize proper alignment of their clients' entire kinetic chain during exercise. If a client is allowed to exercise without proper postural alignment, that client may develop muscle imbalances and joint dysfunction that can lead to injury.
Optimal posture and alignment provides optimal structural and functional efficiency of the kinetic chain. If one component in the kinetic chain is out of alignment, it creates predictable patterns of tissue overload and dysfunction, leading to decreased neuromuscular control and initiates a cumulative injury cycle. This will cause decreased performance and eventually injury. Most exercise programs do not take this into consideration, and you will need to have a trainer with this kind of experience and the desire to recognize these posture distortions in their clients.
Muscle imbalances are caused by postural stress, pattern overload, repetitive movement, lack of core stability, and lack of neuromuscular efficiency.
