Different ways, or strategies, for transferring loads through our body are available and in health we have a number to choose from. The strategy we use for the task at hand is often based on our body's structure, the load we are about to handle, the movement we are about to make and how predictable the situation is.
When loads are light and the situation is predictable, you will default to a movement strategy which appears effortless and fluid (think of the expert skier vs the novice). However, the higher the load and the less predictable the situation (slippery ground, narrow surface, high heels) the more you will choose a strategy which stiffens your body (remember that novice skier) and requires more energy. Both strategies are quite normal given the situation. The problem comes when we limit our choices to just one strategy for every task. For example, it is not considered optimal when we stiffen our hip joints to sit down or bend thus forcing the back to bend more or, when we stiffen our chests as we twist or rotate forcing the rotation into the low back or knees. When these non-optimal movement strategies are repeated over time, the joints and regions they stress tend to become sore. The sore regions are merely the victims of the 'locked-up' or gripped non-functioning parts of the body. Three common 'gripping' strategies of the trunk are:
The butt gripper - overactivation of the muscles of the hip joint which reduces the range of motion of the hip and stresses the low back, pelvis and knee joints
The chest gripper - overactivation of the oblique abdominal wall (external and internal oblique muscles) which reduces the range of trunk rotation and the ability to breathe optimally 
The back gripper - overactivation of the long back extensors which hold the joints of the spine close to the end of their range of motion limiting all trunk movement especially forward bending and rotation.
Since bending with or without rotation is necessary for most tasks we do, any one of these non-optimal strategies can overly stress your joints, restrict your mobility and create pain. The photos on this page are examples of people who are subconsciously gripping their butts, chests or backs and this posture and strategy feels normal to them.
At Diane Lee & Associates, we use release techniques to decrease the tone in the hypertonic muscles which are holding this posture and then teach you better movement strategies for common postural tasks such as moving from standing to sitting (functional squat) and rotation.
The principles for integrating lumbopelvic core training into functional tasks are outlined on the short video clip on this page. This video clip comes from the DVD - An Integrated Approach to the Assessment and Treatment of the Lumbopelvic-hip Region by Diane Lee & Linda-Joy Lee and the full DVD is available - see Products.
