Are you a barrel or scissors? Bringing awareness to your posture

Is your posture a barrel or scissors? What does that even mean?

If you’ve been following me on social media, I posted a reel about this a month or so ago, but let’s dig into it further. I have to give credit that this concept was presented by Dean Somerset, BSc. Kinesiology, Clinical Exercise Physiologist and I fell in love with the visual.

First, let’s figure out are you a barrel or scissors. This is easiest done in front of a mirror, a mirror large enough to capture your lower ribs to hips within it (if you don’t have a large enough mirror, you could set up your phone to film yourself from the side and assess). Stand in your usual posture, placing the wrist of one hand at the lower edge of your ribs extending your fingers forward and the wrist of your other hand at the edge of your hip bone with fingers extended forward.

Once positioned, look to see if your fingers are parallel to one another (barrel) or if your fingers are either angled towards each other or way from each other (scissors). Ideally, you want your posture in more of a barrel form.

This shows “barrel” and “scissor” forms of posture. Notice how the knee and hip joints also change in alignment with barrel vs. scissor.

But why?

When your posture is in a barrel position, this means your ribs are stacked well on top of your pelvis. This allows your abdominals to work in a more efficient length, allows more room to get expansion throughout the back muscles as they are in a neutral position, and maximizes your body’s ability to manage pressure and effort.

Likely, if you are in barrel position, you will also be in a more neutral position throughout the position and alignment of your thigh bones, knees, ankles, and feet; allowing all of these areas to function in their happy place.

Graphic depicting “barrel” posture. Showing pressure being managed throughout the abdominal cavity

What happens if I’m scissors?

If after doing the brief test above, you notice you are scissors (most likely your fingers are angled away from one another), it tells you that your body may be challenged with managing pressure and effort.

In scissored position, the abdominal (stomach) muscles are in a more lengthened position, the ribs are more flared out at the bottom, and the back muscles are in short and tight length. This combination, makes if very difficult to manage pressure easily for the body and pressure will go to the path of least resistance.

The back muscles are short and tight, that sounds like a path of effort but the abdominals are lengthened....ooo that sounds easier to pass through.

And that’s where the pressure will go. Towards the front of the body, both into the abdominals (may notice abdominal “bulging” or more prominent diastasis recti) or may feel more pressure/discomfort towards the front of the pelvic floor.

Graphic depicting “scissor” posture. Arrows represent where pressure will go, typically into the abdominals and the front of the pelvic floor.

In a scissored position, you may also notice that your knees are more hyperextended (pushed backwards) and your feet and ankles may also be sitting in non-optimal positions as well.

If you notice you are more scissors than a barrel, what can you do?

The best thing, is bring awareness to this when you can and correct it. Will this be easy? Fairly. Will it take a crazy amount of repetitions to stick? Absolutely. First, start in postures that you do frequently and check/correct then. Brushing your teeth? Bring yourself into a barrel. Cooking dinner? Great time. Standing in a checkout lane? Bring that posture together. The more repetitions you get in, the sooner it will become the “new normal”.

Besides your day-to-day tasks, also be aware of your posture with exercises. With overhead movements, squats, planks, and more, check in that your ribs and pelvis are stacked to help your body maintain a happy, efficient posture 😀