Movement Monday: Countering Anterior Dominance

Movement matters. How much we get or don’t get each day can have major implications on our path to health and longevity. On the musculoskeletal side of things we see countless victims due to lack of movement and a prolonged, sustained, anterior dominant posture.

When we say anterior dominance, we are referring to a prioritization; an overuse of the muscles and tissues on the front side of the body, often at the expense of the posterior chain or muscles on the back side of the body. We see this with desk work, computer work, driving, texting, etc., and it can become problematic when done for long, uninterrupted periods of time, without any intentional effort to counter balance. This leads to a shortening and hypercontraction of the anterior tissue and a lengthening, weakened and overworked straining of the posterior tissue.

If we look at the area of the body this DIY tip addresses, we are looking at headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain and impingement, reduced ranges pf motion, reduction of a vital fuel in the form of oxygen due to less room for full lung expansion, compression of the abdominal region putting a squeeze on our digestive tract; not to mention that oh so common posture of a jutting chin, rolled in shoulders and hyperkyphotic (hunched) thoracic spine (upper-mid back). And we haven’t even begun on the lower half of the body 😳.

Obviously most of us can not avoid some degree of anterior dominant use throughout our days. It’s the nature of the beast. The issue is the long periods without a counter balancing interruption. When this occurs, your body adapts and you start to create a new normal as the soft tissue forms somewhat of a cast in this new position, lending to joints in the shoulder, spine and more being situated in less biomechanically advantage, less functional, and less pain free positions.

This YTWL technique is a progression to use multiple times per hour, hopefully accompanied by standing up and perhaps a few steps. Counteract the stereotypical pitfalls of our modern day desk and road warrior. Get that body moving. Send some stimulation; some message to your brain that you’re actually alive out there. Your ONE BODY will thank you in spades.