You can tell a lot about someone’s movement patterns by their posture, and all solid posture starts with spinal alignment. Spinal alignment might not be the sexiest subject, but it is the core of our being. When we find our optimal structural alignment, we have a greater ability for freedom of movement and better muscular engagement. “Neutral spine” is the most direct route to spinal alignment, when the S-curve of the spine is in alignment (read: good posture).

Concentrating on the spine in flexibility, stability, and strength is the basis of our mission at The Dailey Method. It is always our first alignment principle and at the root of every exercise we teach. Ahead, how to find your specific alignment, as well as four exercises that help you maintain neutral spine and move through the world with greater ease.

Breathe as much space as possible from head to toe, head to tailbone—based on your position. This creates an ease in your structure. Creating space also helps encourage disc health. It helps the bones to be able to settle into the joints most optimally.

This is the healthiest position for our bodies. Focusing on moving through life in this postural awareness is crucial, as it translates directly to all facets of our lives. Three curvatures make up your spine: Cervical curves inward, thoracic curves posteriorly, and lumbar inward.

This is the act of keeping the space, maintaining the alignment, hugging inward, and engaging muscular support for that optimal position. It’s an energy that originates from the inside out and is a supportive and easeful balance that ultimately results in a person being able to hold neutral spine with more ease.

I call this a meditation on posture. During this pose, we’ll find your optimal alignment, where it is today, and focus on your breath to guide you to find deeper engagement and support for that alignment.

Turned-out squat is a functional exercise that trains your body to bend and lift in its most supported state. This translates in so many practical ways to our everyday activities. Turned-out squat is also an exercise that provides you with the tremendous benefit of strengthening your knee joints. This can help offset or rehabilitate knee problems, especially the more common ones that are medial or lateral to the joint.

Always prioritize alignment and active muscular engagement over depth and range of motion. Because all of our pelvis and thigh bone integrations are different, your neighbor may squat lower, but you’re both doing what’s ideal for your own body type.

We teach this exercise with a neutral spine and pelvis while trying to find axial elongation. Axial elongation is the proper alignment of the head, spine, and pelvis, with as much length as possible, providing optimum spacing between the joints during movement. When you are in alignment, you have a better capacity to engage your muscles properly. Alignment of your spine is the key to getting the best benefit out of every exercise.

The focus of this exercise is back-body integration into the ground. By energetically connecting your entire back-body to the floor, you have greater ability to fire up all of your trunk stabilizers.

This is a great exercise to find neutral spine and to get some great gluteal work in, too! Your gluteals are the base of where your spine sits. Having strong supportive gluteal muscles translates to your overall spinal health.

Whether you’re exercising, carrying groceries, or playing with children, finding optimal alignment of your spine and maintaining that alignment through your movements will enable you to move more freely, confidently, and energetically through your life.

For more information, please click here:https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/back-pain-neutral-spine-exercises