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Posture correction and physical exercises
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Over a fairly long period of its centuries-old history, society has always been concerned with the problems of the relationship between the spiritual and physical principles in the formation of man as the most important biological and social unit.
Noting the presence of certain contradictions between the spiritual and the physical in the personality of each person, most experts rightly believe that these contradictions are of a natural dialectical nature. With a correct, scientifically based formulation of the physical education system, these contradictions not only do not complicate the formation of the personality, but on the contrary, stimulate the process of its harmonious development, therefore, correction of posture is a very important issue facing an orthopedic traumatologist
Since physical exercises as specific means differ from other pedagogical means used in general pedagogy, it should be recognized as appropriate to examine in more detail some of their patterns in unity with the conditions, external and internal factors that determine these patterns.
In the process of physical education, certain motor tasks are put forward to those involved, which must be solved, since this is the only way to achieve the corresponding goals of the classes. A motor task is a socially and biologically conditioned requirement for the performance of certain movements with specified biomechanical characteristics, stimulating a person to activate mental and motor activity, ultimately allowing the achievement of the corresponding goals in the process of physical education.
Certain dialectical contradictions arise between the motor task and the motor capabilities of those involved. The driving force of physical education as a pedagogical process arises when such contradictions are resolved.
A motor task is usually solved by means of specially organized motor actions of those involved. A motor action is a manifestation of human motor activity that is conscious and targeted at solving a specific motor task.
The main means of resolving dialectical contradictions between the motor capabilities of those involved and the motor tasks facing them are physical exercises. They have a great educational impact on the trainees and allow them to expand their motor capabilities. Physical exercise can be characterized as a set of motor actions aimed at solving certain specific tasks of physical education, performed under strict regulation of the biomechanical characteristics of movements, external conditions and the state of the human body.
In the practice of physical education, a huge number of physical exercises are used. To classify physical exercises means to logically represent them as some ordered set with division into groups and subgroups according to certain features. The basis of classification is a feature that is common to any group of exercises. Let's consider the main, most general classifications.
Guzhalovsky (1987) suggests classifying physical exercises according to:
- the sign of their anatomical impact. It is used when it is necessary to select exercises for different parts of the body or muscle groups;
- by general structural features. According to this feature, exercises are divided into cyclic, acyclic and mixed;
- based on their predominant focus on the development of motor skills.
Matveev (1977, 1999) proposed a slightly different classification:
- exercises that require a comprehensive display of physical qualities in conditions of variable modes of motor activity, continuous changes in situations and forms of action;
- exercises that require significant manifestations of coordination and other abilities under the conditions of a strictly defined program of movements;
- exercises that primarily require endurance in cyclic movements;
- speed-strength exercises characterized by maximum intensity or power of effort.
Platonov (1997) recommends dividing physical exercises into four groups:
- general preparatory - aimed at the comprehensive functional development of the human body;
- auxiliary - create the foundation for subsequent improvement in a particular sporting activity;
- special preparatory - include elements of competitive activity, as well as motor actions that are close to them in form, structure, as well as in the nature of the qualities demonstrated and the activity of the functional systems of the body;
- competitive - involve the performance of a set of motor actions that are the subject of sports specialization, in accordance with the existing rules of the competition.
The expansion of ideas about the system of physical exercises is facilitated by their classification based on the activity of the muscles involved in the work. Local exercises are distinguished - less than 30% of muscle mass is involved, regional - from 30-50% and global - over 50%. Depending on the mode of muscle work, isometric, isotonic, auxotonic exercises are distinguished.
Depending on the manifestation of strength, strength and speed-strength (power) exercises are distinguished. Strength exercises are those with maximum or almost maximum tension of the main muscle groups, manifested in an isometric or auxotonic mode at a low speed of movement (with high external resistance, weight). The maximum muscle speed is developed with external resistance (load) constituting 30-50% of the maximum (static) strength. The maximum duration of exercises with high power of muscle contractions is in the range from 3-5 sec to 1-2 min - in inverse proportion to the power of muscle contractions (load).
Based on the analysis of stability and periodicity of kinematic characteristics, motor actions are divided into cyclic and acyclic exercises.
In exercises of a cyclic nature, in accordance with the use of certain energy supply routes, a number of groups are distinguished. This approach is generally accepted, it is substantiated by specialists from different countries. The differences are only in the number of distinguished groups. For example, Farfel (1975), depending on the power of the work and the predominant use of anaerobic or aerobic energy sources to provide it, distinguished 4 zones: with a maximum duration of exercises up to 20 sec (maximum power zone), from 20 sec to 3-5 min (submaximum power zone), from 3-5 min to 30-40 min (high power zone), and more than 40 min (moderate power zone).
Kots (1980) divided all exercises into three anaerobic and five aerobic groups depending on the energy production pathways. He classified anaerobic exercises as those of maximum anaerobic power (anaerobic power); near-maximum anaerobic power (mixed anaerobic power); sub-maximum anaerobic power (anaerobic-aerobic power). Aerobic exercises included those of maximum aerobic power; near-maximum aerobic power; sub-maximum aerobic power; average aerobic power; and low aerobic power.
Acyclic exercises are characterized by a constant change in motor activity, a change in a wide range of biomechanical characteristics of motor actions.
In specialized literature, three groups of acyclic exercises are most often distinguished: situational, standard and impact.
Laputin (1999) suggests distinguishing four classes of physical exercises: health-improving; training; competitive; demonstration.
Health exercises are divided into strengthening, therapeutic, developmental, and control and health exercises.
Training exercises include exemplary, preparatory, and control-training exercises.
In competitive exercises, there are three main types: exercises whose working effect is achieved primarily through the implementation of a certain biokinematic structure of movements (rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming, etc.); exercises whose working effect is achieved primarily through the implementation of a certain biodynamic structure of movements (weightlifting, rowing, track and field, etc.); exercises in which only their final working effect is important in itself, and not the method of achieving it (all types of combat sports - fencing, boxing, types of wrestling, as well as all sports games).
Experimental works by many authors substantiate the widespread use of physical exercises for various musculoskeletal disorders.
Therapeutic physical culture (TPC) is widely used at all stages of treatment of diseases and deformations of the human musculoskeletal system and rehabilitation; it is used to correct posture.
In case of posture disorders, the general tasks of exercise therapy include the creation of favorable biomechanical conditions for increasing the mobility of the spinal column, the correct mutual arrangement of all biolinks of the body, targeted correction of the existing defect in posture, the formation and consolidation of the skill of correct posture.
Specific tasks of exercise therapy depend on the nature of the posture disorder, since special exercises aimed at reducing the angle of the pelvis, for example, with a round-concave back, are contraindicated in cases of stooping, when it is necessary to increase the angle of the pelvis and form lumbar lordosis.
Since the skill of correct posture is formed on the basis of muscular-articular sense, allowing to feel the position of body parts, it is recommended to perform exercises in front of a mirror. Training of patients with mutual control of body parts positions, with verbal correction of the existing posture defect is useful. This allows to create the necessary functional basis for posture correction.
Goryanaya (1995) recommends a comprehensive approach for the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, including passive prevention, self-traction, self-correction of the spinal column and special exercises to form a muscular corset.
When treating various pathologies of the human spinal column, Laputin (1999) recommends performing therapeutic exercises in a hypergravity suit.
It is known that the causes of many such diseases are changes in the morphofunctional characteristics of the spinal column due to changes in the spatial arrangement of biolinks that have arisen for various reasons, as a result of which it cannot withstand excessive mechanical loads and is deformed and curved in the weakest places. Correction of posture most often (with rare contraindications) occurs through the use of specially targeted therapeutic physical exercises. However, the main disadvantage of such exercises is the imprecise target orientation of biomechanical effects, low physical (mechanical) power of highly targeted effects (even if they can be biomechanically correctly oriented) and low overall intensity of each specific treatment cycle. In order to somehow intensify therapeutic exercises of this type, specialists quite often use additional weights, which not only do not bring relief to patients, but also sometimes aggravate their suffering, since any lifting of weights inevitably additionally affects the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region. In most cases, this leads to their overload and approaching the limit of mechanical strength.
Therefore, almost always when using weights in physical exercises, in order for posture correction to occur correctly, it is necessary to achieve the maximum possible reduction of loads falling on the lumbar region. The use of a hypergravity suit almost completely removes this problem and allows the use of weights without any additional effects on the lumbar spine.