Sarah Brenay - Malde - Ch. 2

What are the three characteristics of good physical movement as described in the opening paragraphs of chapter 2? Balanced, free, flexible.

Singing always requires movement.

What words does the author suggest might be substituted for poster? Balance, buoyant, springy, poised, dynamic! Sexy! Infinite!

What are the questions you should ask to map your skeleton?How large is my skeleton, where is my skeleton located, what is the construction of my skeleton, what is the function of my skeleton, how does my skeleton move?

What is the function of your skeleton?It serves as a structure of support, weight distribution, and movement.

What is a joint? The location where two bones meet.

What is co-contraction? When two opposing muscles contract simultaneously.

What would cause a skeletal muscle to not be able to move freely?A lot of things. They may be chronically tense.

What is the difference in the workings of a tense and a released muscle?A tense muscles works more than is necessary for the task.  A released muscle works only as much as necessary.

Our muscles should release and rest upon the skeleton.

Describe the location of the 4 different portions of your spine.  What is the function of each?The cervical portion of the vertebrae starts at the atlas where the spine connects to the skull, and forms the neck, it allows the head to turn and bend. The thoracic vertebrae goes from the base of the neck to the lowest ribs. The ribs connect to these vertebrae, and it curves out to accommodate the lungs. The lumbar vertebrae stretches from the base of the ribs to the hips, and supports the weight of the upper body. The sacrum are a set of fused vertebrae that go behind the pelvic bones and end in the tail bone.

What is the name of the top vertebra?The atlas.

How does the thickness and size of the vertebrae differ?The lumbar vertebrae are the largest. The sacrum is fused together and ends in a point at the tail bone. The thoracic vertebrae get smaller and the cervical vertebrae are the smallest.

How far from your back is the lumber spine located?It goes from the very back of your back to the middle of your body!

How much space does the circumference of your spine occupy? Cervical - 1/3, thoracic - 1/4, lumbar 1/2.

What are the four curves of the spine?  How many vertebrae make up each curve?  In which direction do they curve?Cervical curve: 7 (concave), Thoracic: 12 (convex), Lumbar: 5 (concave), Sacrum: 9 (convex).

Which part of the spine is weight-bearing (front or back)?  What is the function of the other part? The front. The rest encloses and protects the spinal chord.

What are the three functions of your spinal vertebrae? To bear and deliver weight, protect the spinal chord, and allow movement.

What are the three parts of each vertebra? What is the function of each?The body bears weight and balances the weight from the body above it. The foramen houses the spinal cord. The spinal process protects and encloses the spinal cord and connects to muscles, ribs, and ligaments.

Describe the facets on the vertebrae?small bumps on the vertebrae that allow them to connect to each other.

Describe the front of the spine. Smooth wall of bodies sitting on top of each other.

Describe the form and function of your vertebral discs. To be squishy and allow the vertebrae to move so you can curve the spine forward, back, and side to side.

Where is the one place in the spine where there is no disc?Atlas.

What do singers need to avoid? Chronic disc compression.

Describe the vertebral ligaments? They connect bone to bone. The connect the vertebrae together. They are strong fibrous tissues.

               

What is a tendon?  What is its function? It connects muscles to bone.

What is fascia?  What is its function?Thin strong connective tissue. To connect!

Where are the six places of balance? A-O joint. Shoulders. Lumbar region. Hips. Knees. Ankles.

Which of these six places of balance is not an actual joint? The lumbar region.

What is the function of your atlas? It allows the head to turn and pivot and move around.

Explain how the skull and the atlas fit together. The occipital region has two bumps called condyles. The atlas has two adjacent depressions that the occipital condyles fit into.

Why is mapping your A-O joint important? So that you can distribute the weight of your head properly onto the spine. Your neck muscles can release. Your head can rest comortably and naturaly. The neck has global power over the rest of your body, so if the neck is tense so is the rest of you.

Where is you’re A-O joint located? In between your ears.

What is meant by a neutral position for the neck? a place of no work.

What are two ways to help find the accurate relationship between your thorax and your lumbar spine? Lying down on the floor with your legs bent or walking backwards

What is the function of the pelvis? To distribute the weight of the upper body to the legs.

Describe your pelvis. Do I have to?

What do you know about your hip joints? A lot!

What is your torso? The trunk of the body.

               

Describe your knee joint.Behind and slightly below the knee cap.

               

Where is your kneecap located? In front and above the knee joint.

What are the three conditions of the knee joint? locked, balanced, and bent.

How does the position of the thorax affect the knee joint? It causes the knees to lock. It is too far back.

Do your knees need to bend in order to be balanced? no

Describe your ankle joint. The tibia and fibula meet the talus bone of the foot.

               

What are the bumps on the outside and inside of your ankle? The outside is the fibula and the inside is the tibia.

Which of the lower leg bones distributes our weight? The tibia.

Which other joint in the body has a direct impact on the ankle joint? The A-O joint.

How does the position of the thorax affect the ankle joint? If the upper body isn't balanced the ankles will lock

In what order should we balance our joints? Top to bottom.

Describe the location of the heel bone.behind the ankle joint.

Describe your foot. smelly! triangular. Pyramidal!

Describe the structure of each arm Made up of the clavicle, scapula, humorous, two lower arm bones, radius and ulna, wrist...

Name and describe the arm joints. sterno clavicular, upper arm, elbow, wrist.

Describe position of collarbones and shoulder blades and how arm structure should be balanced. They center over the weight bearing spine.

Your skeleton will be better balanced when your muscles are not being recruited to do the work of the skeleton.

My spine and my postural muscles that surround it ­­support my front and my back, freeing my front and my back for movement.

What are the five poor postural instructions given at the end of the chapter? 
Stand straight against a wall
Stand straight as if the spine were a broom stick
Lift the sternum high
Roll the shoulders back or hold them down
Tuck the pelvis under
Suspend your head by an invisible string from the ceiling