Posture Assessments

I couldn't help myself - my physio brain has been on holidays for a couple of weeks, but once a physio - always a physio. And I can't help but comment on the women's posture here. The Ghanaians are a fairly good looking bunch of people really (did anyone see the soccer team?). The women in particular look very graceful - they always walk quite slowly, and often are carrying something on their head, so walk very tall and upright. I've seen them carrying bananas, pineapples, bread, washing baskets, boxes of bottled water, bundles of firewood, even a table! They don't use their hands for support and never seem to drop anything, so have fantastic balance. I'll try to take some photos and put them on here soon.

The ladies with children carry the babies and toddlers on their lower backs, they wrap a cloth around the baby's bottom with their legs sticking out either side of their waist, and then bring the cloth around the front of their chest. The babies seem to be quite comfortable, they are often fast asleep and never wriggle around. I haven't quite figured out how they get the babies in position though! Perhaps as a consequence of carrying the babies like this, the women often have an exaggerated lumbar lordosis (curve in their lower back for the non-physios!) and big gluteus maximus! They are also very flexible - I often see them working while doing the washing or in the fields, and they'll be completely bent in half - good hamstring flexibility!

I haven't taken as much notice of the men's posture yet, except to say that they are generally quite muscular and buffed! There are some security men who work around here who are big guys - a bit like Mr T from the A-team! I was considering going to the little gym here at the minesite, but they only have big weights - too much for little me. I'll stick to doing my Yogalates in the lounge room for now. And maybe start walking around with a book on my head to practice!