Let you understand the cross syndrome

“My body fat is normal, but why do I look like I have a big belly?” Today we will tell you what lower cross syndrome is.

Lower Cross Syndrome is a sign of abnormal human posture, which usually deviates from the normal posture, especially when observed from the side. First of all, we need to know what the body posture is under normal circumstances. Look at the whole body from the side: if a vertical line is hung, then this line can pass through the earlobe, acromion process, the middle of the trunk, the greater trochanter of the femur, the knee joint, and slightly in front of the ankle joint. Lower Cross Syndrome will have obvious pelvic anterior tilt and excessive lumbar curvature. This is because of a series of symptoms caused by muscle imbalance around the pelvic muscles, manifested as shortened and tight hip flexors and erector spinae muscles, and weakened gluteal and abdominal muscles. This abnormal posture will increase the pressure on the joints (lumbar spine, knee joints), change our biomechanical lines and cause pain. At the same time, due to the change in the center of gravity, it may also cause hyperextension of the knee joint, affecting the overall posture.

Pregnant women, people with beer bellies, and women who often wear high heels often experience this. Because both the beer belly and the fetus have a certain weight, the body will be pulled forward due to the forward shift of the center of gravity. It is impossible to bend over when walking normally, so the body will be pulled back with the strength of the waist, and finally a "front straight and back bent" posture will be formed. Such a posture for a long time will lead to muscle imbalance, and the body will be in a wrong posture. Some muscles will be tense, and some will be weak (such as the iliopsoas muscle), causing the thoracic spine to move backward, the physiological curvature of the spine to increase, and the change in the position of the diaphragm will compress the internal organs to move down to the abdominal cavity, which is not only the cause of the protruding abdomen, but also the cause of abdominal fat hypertrophy.

So how do we correct lower crossed syndrome? We can improve abnormal phenomena such as pelvic flexion through some posture adjustments, muscle stretching and relaxation, and muscle strength training.

(1) Iliopsoas stretch

Since many people work at a desk for a long time, the iliopsoas muscle shortens and causes the pelvis to tilt forward, affecting the stretchability and elasticity of this muscle. Therefore, it is very important to relax the iliopsoas muscle. This movement uses a large lunge, with the back knee attached to the yoga mat and the center of gravity moved forward. You can fully feel the iliopsoas muscle in the front of the hip being stretched. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 sets.

(2) Back muscle stretch

Waist tension and discomfort are also the main symptoms of most people with lower cross syndrome, so stretching and relaxing the back muscles is very important. You can use kneeling stretching movements, sit on your heels, stretch your hands forward, fully tighten your abdomen and feel your entire back arched like a sail; you can use a foam roller to roll your waist muscles. These two movements, one stretching and the other rolling, can effectively relax your waist muscles.

(3) Core strength training

Crunches: Lie on your back and lift your body to about 45 degrees from the ground, hold for 5-10 seconds, 10 reps in a group, repeat 3-5 groups. Note that you should wrap your arms around your neck to protect your cervical spine. When the body moves upward at too large an angle, it will cause the iliopsoas muscle to be over-involved, which will make the iliopsoas muscle, which should be relaxed, even more tense.

Plank support: Use your elbows and feet to support your body on the ground, keep your body parallel to the ground, and pay attention to keeping your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles in a straight line, and avoid making mistakes such as sagging waist and arching back. Do it for 30 seconds each time, 5 times in a set, and repeat 2-3 sets.

(4) Gluteal and posterior thigh exercises

Since the gluteal muscles and the posterior thigh muscles are weak, they cannot pull the pelvis that has tilted forward back to the neutral position, so lying on your back and lifting your hips is also a very important posture correction exercise. Pay attention to fully bend your knees and hook your toes, and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips, and knees are in a straight line. At this time, you can fully feel the force of your hips and posterior thigh muscles. 15 per set, repeat 3-4 sets. Pay attention to slow down when lowering, and don't let your hips completely stick to the ground.

The above exercises can help correct bad posture and improve problems such as low back pain, knee pain, etc. caused by bad posture.

Author: Chen Enchao, Yu Hong

Editor: Jia Jing

Illustration: Li Chuan

This project is funded by the "National Society Science Popularization Capacity Improvement Project-Rehabilitation Science Popularization Service Capacity Improvement Action Plan"