Abstract:
"The purpose of the study was to establish norms for alignment deficits and quantify how these
deficits are influenced by fitness and daily habits. The method was as follows: 502 college
students observed their body alignment, tested their fitness and identified lifestyle factors
affecting their posture. Data was entered via cell phones into an excel sheet for analysis. This
technology gave students a personal experience in evidence-based learning. The results
confirmed that ideal posture is rare, only 18 students had neutral alignment. These students
scored higher on fitness tests compared to students with deficits. Additionally, underweight and
female participants had higher rates of deficits. The top three lifestyle factors were cell phone
use, hand dominance and lack of sleep. The main conclusions are: 1. posture and fitness are
codependent - students with good posture had better fitness results; 2. cell phone usage is
creating a new techno-posture; 3. there are significant variations in body alignment and fitness
according to gender, age and body weight."-- by Joanna Farmer
