Drawing The Line Pilates and the Posture of a Drawing Artist

Lucinda Neethling

30 March 2018

CTTC, Johannesburg

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Abstract

As a ballpoint pen artist, I spend a lot of time seated at my drawing table. The type of art I

produce take hours and the precision at which I work leaves me slouching and hunched over

my drawing desk. It comes as no surprise that I end up with aching shoulders and a stiff neck,

both eventually leading to head aches leaving me ineffective and tired.

I had to draw the line…stand against it and face the facts.

Forward head posture is a result of kyphosis, but when the neck is flexed for long periods of

time, it encourages a kyphotic posture. Postural faults are dynamic, a chain reaction where the

position of one joint, whether stationary or in motion, directly impacts the joint position

above or below. The basis of all movement begins with posture, and efficient movement can

only be achieved with sufficient mobility and stability. Without stability, the ideal posture will

never be achieved. Finding the balance between range of motion and strength in the body is

the key to a healthier lifestyle.

“What I dream of is an art of balance.” -Henri Matisse

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Table of Contents

Title page 1

Abstract 2

Table of Contents 3

The Plumb Line 4

Anatomy of the spine 5

Anatomy of the neck 6

Anatomy of the shoulder 7

Thoracic spine and the shoulder region 8

Case study 9

Conditioning program 11

Conclusion 15

Bibliography 16

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The Plumb Line

Posture is defined as the position of the body in space; the relationship of the body parts -

head, trunk and limbs - to each other.

Ideal posture is based on good body alignment and is often described relative to a plumb line;

a straight line that runs vertically through the body. The ideal standing posture (when viewed

from the side) would be when the following landmarks of the body line up vertically on the

plumb line; the lobe of the ear, bodies of cervical vertebrae, shoulder joint, midpoint of the

trunk, greater trochanter of femur, a point slightly anterior to the midline of the knee, and a

point slightly anterior to the lateral malleolus.

Posture can also be evaluated from a front and back view, focusing on symmetry of the body.

The ideal sitting posture can be viewed when the body weight is adjusted to balance over the

ischial tuberosities, knees bent at approximately 90 degrees and aligned with the heels. The

spine is lengthened through the crown of the head and the upper torso is balanced right

above pelvis.

Ideal posture is subjective to the individual and must be understood as something that one

strives toward, but may not achieve.

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A. Plumb line viewed from the side B. Plumb line viewed from the back

Anatomy of the spine

The spine is made up of thirty-three vertebrae; the upper twenty-four are articulating and the

lower nine are fused in adults, five in the sacrum and four in the coccyx. The articulating

vertebrae are named according to their region of the spine. There are seven cervical

vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae and five lumbar vertebrae. Each individual vertebral joint

offers very little movement, yet combined they form a highly mobile mechanism. When the

work through the spine is not distributed it will prevent each vertebral joint from moving

through its optimum range of motion, causing an imbalance in the spine.

Kyphosis as a clinical term is used to describe an exaggerated posterior thoracic curve when

viewed from the side. Postural kyphosis is caused by an imbalance of muscles in the upper

back, neck and abdominals.

The other skeletal features of kyphosis may include a forward head position, exaggerated

curvature in the ribs and the scapulae more laterally positioned, abducted, upwardly rotated

and possibly winging or tilted.

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Ideal posture vs kyphotic posture

Anatomy of the neck

The cervical spine (neck) consists of seven vertebral segments, begins at the base of the skull

and connects to the thoracic spine. The neck is also made up of many muscles connected

from the head to the torso. The purpose of these muscles is to provide structural support to

the head, but also to allow for neck movement.

Two muscles I want to focus on are the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius.

The sternocleidomastoid connects the head with the rib cage and shoulder girdle and is

responsible for flexion and rotation of the head.

The trapezius is connected to the base of the head, on either shoulder and much of the

thoracic spine and is mainly responsible for stabilising and moving the scapula, but also has

some minor involvement in flexion and rotation of the head.

When the neck is flexed for long periods at a time, it places these muscles under a lot of

strain. When the head moves forward, the spine follows. This pulls the shoulder blades

forward which makes contact with the upper ribcage and pulls the ribcage forward. The

sternocleidomastoid is now needed to support the head and and the trapezius becomes

responsible for flexion and rotation of the head.

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Anatomy of the shoulder

The Shoulder girdle consists of the clavicle and scapula. The only true anatomical joints

between the shoulder girdle and the axial skeleton are the sternoclavicular joints (SC Joints)

on each side, where the sternum and clavicles on each side meet.

The shoulder joint (also known as the glenohumeral joint) is the main joint of the shoulder. It

is a ball and socket joint that allows the arm to rotate in a circular fashion or to hinge out and

up away from the body.

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles (supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus, and

teres minor) that surround the shoulder joint and connects the scapulae to the humerus. The

cuff adheres to the glenohumeral capsule and attaches to the humeral head.

The muscles connecting the scapula to the rib cage, spine and head are the trapezius,

rhomboids, levator scapulae, pectoralis minor and serratus anterior.

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Thoracic Spine and Shoulder Region

The scapulothoracic joint is not a true joint, but rather a muscular point of contact between

the anterior surface of the scapula and the posterior lateral wall of the thorax, called the

serratus anterior muscle. This muscular connection between the two permits great mobility of

the shoulder girdle.

The thoracic spine and shoulder region are linked during movement. Poor movement in the

upper back means poor movement of the shoulder girdle. The movement of the shoulder

blades are linked to the movements of the ribs and thoracic wall. In the presence of kyphosis,

the upper back muscles are weak and an exaggerated curve of the ribs may abduct, upwardly

rotate as well as tilt the scapulae causing them to wing posteriorly from the ribcage. The

scapulae protracts causing an imbalance throughout the shoulder girdle, compromising

shoulder joint function.

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Case Study

Client: Myself, Lucinda Neethling

Age: 32

Profession: Drawing artist and pilates mat instructor

I am a ballpoint pen artist who’s drawings are extremely precise and detailed. Because I work

in pen, every little line has to be close to perfect. I sit for hours at a time to finish a drawing

and it leaves me with aching shoulders and a stiff neck.

Overall I am an active and healthy person who enjoys pilates and other exercise, but my work

as an artist keeps me seated at my desk for hours at end.

From my back ground as pilates instructor, I know to take regular breaks, do the appropriate

stretching and strengthening for my posture and occupation as an artist. Unfortunately we do

not always practice what we preach and I get so caught up in a drawing that I neglect myself

and tend to ignore the aching warnings my body gives me. I recently purchased an architects

drafting desk to be able to adjust my drawing position, but find that I fall into the same

postural habits even when standing. The bottom line is that I need to strengthen the correct

muscles in order for my body to maintain a good posture for longer, especially when drawing.

My habitual drawing posture: Seated or sometimes standing, kyphotic posture, head

forward and flexed (close to the drawing paper). Both shoulders internally rotated leaving the

external rotators weak. The right shoulder is also slightly elevated in internal rotation. The

head and upper body are rotated around the longitudinal axis to the left with the right leg

crossed over the left, hiking the right hip. When standing I tend to hang into the left hip.

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Habitual sitting posture on plumb line:

Lengthened and weak Short and tight

Lower trapezius, rhomboids, posterior

deltoid, teres minor, infraspinatus.

Upper trapezius, anterior deltoids,

subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major,

serratus anterior.

Neck flexors Sternocleidomastoid

Weak external obliques Pectoralis major and minor

Erector spinae weak but tight Rectus abdominis short but weak

Glutes weak Hip flexors short but weak

Triceps Hamstrings tight but weak

Hip adductors Piriformis

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Exaggerated thoracic curve

Conditioning program

Level: Intermediate to advanced

Restriction: Right shoulder pain, limited range of motion in both shoulders but especially

right shoulder.

Goals:

• Trunk stabilisation - focus on isometric contraction exercises and not too much

flexion (when working on abdominal strength)

• Pelvic stabilisation (maintain neutral - keep ribs tucked)

• Increase range of motion in shoulders

• Scapular stabilisation - improve balance between the various shoulder muscle groups

• Strengthen upper back

• Increase mobility in spine - especially thoracic

• Stretch pectoralis major and minor, hamstrings and piriformis

• Stretch but also strengthen hip flexors

• Strengthening and work on activating triceps when arms are extended overhead

• Strengthen glutes

• Rotation on longitudinal axis especially to right side - focusing on balance between

rotation to each side

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BASI BLOCK EXERCISE

MUSCLE FOCUS

&

OBJECTIVE

NOTES

Warm-up

Mat: Roll down, Pelvic Curl, Spine

Twist Supine, Chest lift, Chest lift with

Rotation

Warm up body, pelvic stabilisation,

abdominal and oblique

strengthening.

Focus on keeping neutral spine

throughout and square, open shoulders.

Footwork

Wunda Chair: Parallel heels, - toes, Open V heels, - toes, Calf Raises, Single

leg heel, - toes.

Trunk stabilisation, pelvic stabilisation,

hip extensor control, knee extensor

control, foot and ankle control.

Leave out hands behind head position to avoid activating upper trapezius.

Rather do abducted arms twice to

encourage external rotation and wide,

open shoulders.

Abdominal work

Wunda Chair: Standing pike reverse

Reformer: Short box series (Round back,

Straight back, Tilt, Twist, Round about and Climb-a-Tree) ———————

*Torso press on the Wunda Chair is also great for

similar objectives

Abdominals

Abdominals, back extensors, obliques, hamstring strength, co-contraction of

abdominals and back extensors

Focus on scapular stabilization and

back extensor control

Pelvic lumbar stabilisation, trunk stabilisation, avoid

thrusting ribs forward, keep head alined with spine. In

twist and round about, ensure equal rotation to both the

right and left

BASI BLOCK

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Hipwork

Cadillac: Basic leg springs

(Frog, Circles Down, - Up, Walking,

Bicycles)

Hip adductors strength

Hip extensor strength

Hamstrings

Pelvic lumbar stabilisatioin

Hip external control

Spinal articulation

Cadillac: Tower prep

Reformer: Semi-Circle

Abdominal Hip extensor

Abdominals Hamstrings

Great for improving mobility of spine in

extension

Stretches

Reformer: Kneeling lunge

Pole series: Shoulder stretch,

overhead stretch, side stretch, spine twist)

Hip flexor stretch Hamstring stretch

Lower trapezius activation, opening up the pecs, oblique

control, trunk control.

Back extensors engage and head aligned with spine

Focus on scapulae and trunk

stabilisation. Keep shoulders

externally rotated in shoulder stretch.

In side stretch, don’t hang into oblique.

Mainting co-contraction of

abdominals and back extensors.

EXERCISE

MUSCLE FOCUS

&

OBJECTIVE

NOTESBASI BLOCK

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Full body integration (F/I)

Reformer: Upstretch 1

Down stretch——————— *Kneeling Cat Stretch on Cadillac is great for similar objectives

Both exercises:

Abdominals Back extensors

Shoulder stabilisation and shoulder stretch

Great for trunk stabilisation and shoulder external

control

Armwork

Wunda Chair: Shrugs

Tricep Press Sit

Mid and lower trapezius

Tricep

Both are great for trunk stabilisation

and scapular control Keep trunk upright and back extensors

strong

Full body integration (A/M)

Wunda Chair: Tendon Stretch Abdominals

Serratus Anterior Deltoids

Scapular stabilisation

Maintain scapular stabilisation

Leg Work

Wunda Chair: Frog Front Hip external rotators

(Glute max, deep outward rotators)

Trunk stabilisation Keep shoulders

externally rotated

Lateral Flexion / Extension

Reformer: Mermaid Oblique

Latissimus Dorsi Deltoids

Focus on scapular stabilisation

Works on spinal mobility

EXERCISE

MUSCLE FOCUS

&

OBJECTIVE

NOTESBASI BLOCK

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Conclusion

After following this routine and exercises with similar objectives, I have seen great

improvement in mobility of my thoracic spine and especially my shoulders. I am noticeably

stronger in my back extensors, shoulder stabilisers and trunk. I am able to hold a posture

closer to my ideal for longer and with more confidence. My shoulder external rotators and

scapular stabilisers are much stronger, which means less shoulder pain, less stress is placed on

my neck and less frequent head aches.

An important part of my recent pilates journey has been stretching my shoulders, hip flexors,

piriformis, glutes and gently increasing mobility in my spine. Striving towards balance

between range of motion and strength has been my main focus.

My awareness in which muscles to recruit in order to improve my posture has heightened and

I find myself practicing this everywhere; when drawing, when teaching classes, when standing

in line at the grocery store, when driving and even when cooking.

Pilates, and especially the Basi Comprehensive Course has changed the way I interact with

my body. I am definitely walking taller.

Back Extension

Reformer: Pulling straps 1 Pulling straps 2

Back extensor Shoulder extensor

strength

EXERCISE

MUSCLE FOCUS

&

OBJECTIVE

NOTESBASI BLOCK

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Bibliography

• Isacowitz, Rael. Study guide: Comprehensive Course. Costa Mesa, California: Body Arts and

Science International, 2013.

• Isacowitz, Rael. Pilates. Human Kinetics Publishers, USA, 2014.

• V. Geweniger, A. Bohlander. Pilates - A Teacher’s Manual. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 2014

• Paterson, Jane. Teaching Pilates for postural faults, illness and injury - a practical guide. Butterworth-

Heinemann. 2008

• https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spine-anatomy/thoracic-spine-anatomy-and-

upper-back-pain

• https://corewalking.com/forward-head-posture-the-sternocleidomastoid-and-the-trapezius-

muscles/

• http://kingchiropractic.co.uk/blog/traveling-work-back/

• http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/2014/05/01/the-scapula-and-thoracic-spine-a-classic-

love-story-to-improve-your-overhead-position/

• https://holisticgrowthinsights.com/2017/10/27/kyphosis-what-you-can-do-about/

• http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/the-relationship-between-posture-stability-and-

mobility-4039

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/sternocleidomastoid-nerve-supply-trigger-points.html

• https://holisticgrowthinsights.com/2017/10/27/kyphosis-what-you-can-do-about/

• https://forzahealth.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/the-shoulder-stability-vs-mobility/

• https://www.aafp.org/afp/2016/0715/p119.html (rotator cuff illustration by Lidia V. Kibiuk)

• https://coachrouse.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/video-blog-the-sa-press-serratus-anterior-

press/

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