16/06/16

Our newly crowned European age group Triathlon champion and elite Team Blizard star, Tom Morris, has been benefitting from postural analysis from our Modern Pilates expert to address his imbalances, with the aim of making him even more invincible in his next major competition!

Tom is well on his way to becoming one of the world's best age group triathletes, and with each step he takes to reaching the pinnacle of his sport, he is fine-tuning every part of his training to ensure all aspects are covered in his efforts to fulfil his maximum potential in the water, on the bike and in his running.

One lesser known but essential area for sportsmen and women to address is posture, and this is something our Modern Pilates instructor, Celine Blizard, is keen to help with. The way we stand, walk and 'hold' ourselves is a vital component of our general health and well-being, so having our posture analysed by a Pilates expert should be part and parcel of everyone's lives, regardless of how active you are.

As an elite athlete, Tom is always looking for ways to improve his performance. How would a postural analysis help Tom?

Blizard’s Modern Pilates Practitioner, Celine Blizard, explains how: “Postural imbalances and incorrect alignment result in less efficient movement and instability in the body. For an athlete, stability in the pelvis and shoulder girdle, for example, underpin that efficient movement that’s paramount in optimising performance. With Tom, the postural analysis identified an issue in his right shoulder that he was previously unaware of”. (See the photo below)



In the photo above, notice the ‘winging’ in Tom’s right scapula (shoulder blade) compared to the one on the left. A ‘winging’ scapula is often evidence of weakness in the muscles responsible for stability in both the shoulder (Rotator Cuff muscles) and scapula (Pectoralis Minor, lower fibres of Trapezius and Serratus Anterior muscles).

To address his postural instability, Tom needs to work on building more strength in his right shoulder girdle.

Celine recommends the following Pilates exercises for Tom to build the strength:

• Shoulder Drops – this exercise helps release tension around the shoulders by mobilising the scapula and helps develop an awareness of the arms’ connection to the back of the ribcage. This is a great starter exercise if a client struggles with proprioception.
• Arm Openings – fabulous for promoting openness and control around the shoulders. As a client develops the appropriate level of proprioception, this exercise allows focus on controlling shoulder movement. Control is a fundamental Pilates principle that underpins any movement.
• Four Point Kneeling – as a client progresses, the four point kneeling series of exercises provide endless scope to build shoulder strength and stability. The key point to remember in all four point kneeling exercises is to maintain the abdominal connection to prevent the spine dipping and the pelvis losing its stability.

In the photo below, Tom is demonstrating the start position for all four point kneeling exercises. Exercises in this position generally involve the movement of weighty limbs to challenge the shoulder and scapula stability. To maintain the stillness and stability in the shoulder girdle Tom will work to build strength in that area - he can work harder on his right side than his left to redress the imbalance identified in his initial postural analysis.