CERTAIN muscles of the body are what you would call "Gravity Resisted".

These muscles require strengthening, as they are the main muscle groups that keep your body in the upright position when standing.

The following muscles are Gravity Resisted:

Traps and Rhomboids (neck and top of the shoulders)

Abdominals (tummy muscles)

Gluteals (bottom muscles)

Quads (thigh muscles)

Tibialis Anterior (the muscle at the side of your leg that envelopes your shin bone)

Certain muscles require stretching, these are called "Gravity Assisting".

These muscles require stretching for proper alignment of the body, they are as follows:

Postcervicals (neck muscles)

Erector Spinae (runs along the side of, and supports the spine)

Pectorals (these lay across the front of your chest)

Latissimus Dorsi (this lies over your back and attaches under your armpit)

Psoas Major and Minor (they run over the top part of the thigh towards the pelvis -- Ilea Crest)

Hamstrings (back of your leg)

Gastocnemius and the Soleus (calf muscle)

POSTURE AND THE SPINAL COLUMN

The spinal column is the main postural support for the upper torso, most of the muscles of the back are attached to the spine. This is why when muscles are tight and stretched on opposite sides of the body the spine is forced to curve where it normally would not.

The spinal column has curves along its length, these are seen in the cervical lumbar and sacral regions. The thoracic and sacral curves are primary curves being present before birth. The cervical and lumbar curves are secondary curves and develop after birth. The cervical develops when a baby starts to lift its head, the lumbar develops as the baby starts to sit and stand. The cervical is concave, thoracic is convex, lumbar is concave sacral is concave.