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Postural Analysis of Y ale 
University Freshmen’ 
T. ERWIN BLESH, Associate Professor, Physical Education, 
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 
INTRODUCTION 
"ur term "body mechanics," which is more inclusive than the word “pos- 
ture," simply means the alignment of the various segments of the body. 
Good body alignment—in other words, good body mechanics—is emphasized for 
the purpose of allowing the vital organs to function at their highest efficiency, 
because when the various segments of the body are not in good alignment, the 
individual must use his body at a mechanical disadvantage. 
[t is readily admitted that correct body mechanics assists in permitting the 
organs of the body to function more smoothly and more efficiently, but in 
actual practice this extremely important health value is often overlooked. 
People as a whole are willing to accept the theory of many health principles, 
but they are not always willing to practice what they believe. More important 
still is the fact that many individuals do not know what good body mechanics 
is. When they are told that the weight is carried too far back, or that the pelvic 
girdle is tilted too far forward, or that the chest is flat, etc., they do not have 
the least conception of what it is all about, much less knowing the principles 
involved in overcoming some of these poor postural habits. One of the distinct 
purposes of ‘Corrective Classes’ at Yale University is to see that each in- 
dividual knows what is involved in good body mechanics, knows what posi- 
tions to emphasize or stress in order to attain a good alignment of the various 
segments of the body, and develop the strength and coordination necessary to 
assume good mechanical positions of the body. 
Bopy MECHANICS RATINGS 
Subjective ratings which are based solely upon the judgment of the rater 
serve a distinct purpose in postural appraisal even though they may fail to 
show the desired degree of consistency among judgments of various raters. It 
is valuable to determine in this way various deviations from what would appear 
to be good alignment of the segments of the body. Where the rater has ob- 
served the posture of a large number of individuals such an appraisal can be 
very informative. 
For many years attempts have been made to obtain more objective measure- 
ments of an individual's standing posture. Photography has been used in many 
of these studies, but its use has been rather limited in that only one view of a 
person could be taken at any one time. The photograph was also limited as to 
the value in postural analysis in that it was difficult to note certain specific 
points on the body, which are necessary to determine some of the deviations in 
good body alignment. 
In 1932 MacEwan and Howe! reported a study on the posture of girls at 
* This is one of the papers included in the Report of the Reporter for U.S.A., Commission V, 
International Society of Photogrammetry. 
! MacEwan, C. G., and Howe, E. C. “An Objective Method of Grading Posture," Research 
Quarterly, 3: 144 (October) 1932. 
GV—75