Dr. Robin Hunter, a sports chiropractor and clinical assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, covers seven simple postural movement assessments that can be performed by any parent or coach.
The purpose of these assessments is to look for any areas where the athlete might have a dysfunctional movement pattern. By identifying these dysfunctional movements, you can pick up areas that can be worked on in order to help prevent injury and improve performance. This is especially important for young athletes that are growing quickly.
After taking an initial look at the athlete's posture and pelvis position from the side to make sure there are no misalignments, try these posture and flexibility tests:
- Shoulder mobility
- Air squat and overhead squat
- Plank
- Hurdle test
- Hamstring asymmetry
- Hip flexor & quadricep tightness
- Trunk rotation
