Author: admin

When you look at your Overhead Squat Assessment report, you will see lines, angles, and labels placed at your joints and along your body. These measurements are not there to judge you. They are there to give us a clear, repeatable way to describe how your body is choosing to move today so that we can support you in moving the way you want and need to move.

In this post, you will learn what those angles and alignments mean in everyday language and how we use them as part of your overall care.

What angles and lines are showing you

Every time you perform an overhead squat, your body makes choices. How far your arms move, how much your torso leans, how your hips, knees, and ankles bend, and what your feet do on the floor are all part of that strategy.

The angles and lines on your report help us see things such as:

• How far your arms stay overhead or drift forward
• How much your torso leans forward or stays upright
• How your knees line up with your feet
• How your heels and arches behave as you move

Rather than relying on “it looks a little off,” these measurements give us a way to be specific and to track your progress over time.

Elbow angle and arm position

When you squat with your arms overhead, we are interested in whether your arms can stay in line with your ears and your trunk, and how your elbows behave as you move.

Some of the questions we are looking at include:

• Do your arms stay close to your ears as you move down and up?
• Do your elbows bend or your arms drift forward as you descend?
• Does one arm behave differently than the other?

When your arms fall forward or your elbows bend earlier than expected, it often tells us that certain muscles in your shoulders, chest, or upper back are working differently than we would like. It can also tell us that other muscles are not being invited into the movement as much as they could be.

You may see this show up in your report as a finding such as “arms fall forward” or “elbows flex.” In your Results Guide, you will be able to look up those specific findings to see what they commonly mean and how we often support them.

Torso angle and forward lean

Your torso angle describes how much your upper body leans forward as you squat. A comfortable amount of forward lean is normal and even helpful for most people. What matters is how it relates to the rest of your body and your goals.

There are a few common patterns we may see:

• Excessive forward lean, where your torso comes very far forward as you descend
• Inadequate forward lean, where your torso stays very upright and stiff

Excessive forward lean often shows up when muscles such as your calves and hip flexors (the front of your hips and lower legs) are very active and muscles such as your glutes and core are not contributing as much. Inadequate forward lean can sometimes suggest that your ankles, hips, or spine are not sharing motion as well as they could.

You might see “excessive forward lean” or “inadequate forward lean” listed in your Findings section. Each of those will have its own post in this Results Guide so that you can explore what they tend to tell us about your movement and how we may address them together.

Hip, knee, and ankle alignment

When we look at your hips, knees, and ankles, we are looking at how each joint lines up with the one above and below as your body moves. From the front and back views we are paying attention to:

• Whether your knees stay roughly over the middle of your feet
• Whether your knees drift inward or outward
• Whether your feet stay pointed where you started or turn out more
• Whether your heels stay down or lift from the floor

For example, if your knees move inward as you squat, your report might list “knees move inward” as a finding. If your feet turn out more as you descend, you may see “feet turn out.” If your heels lift, you may see “heel raise.”

Each of these alignment patterns is your body’s current solution for getting you into and out of the squat. At Florida Bodywork, we see them as useful information rather than something to be ashamed of. We then match these patterns with what you feel in your body and what your goals are, and we decide together what to focus on.

Feet and ground contact

Your feet are your foundation during your OSA. The way they contact the ground gives us important information about how your ankles, knees, and hips are working together.

Some of the things we look for include:

• Does your weight stay balanced across the heel, the ball of the foot, and the base of the big toe and little toe?
• Do your arches stay supported or do they collapse or roll inward?
• Do your heels stay down or do they rise as you go deeper into the squat?

Changes in your foot and heel position can relate to mobility at your ankles, strength and control in the muscles that support your arches, and how your hips and knees are participating in the movement.

This is why you may see findings such as “feet flatten,” “feet turn out,” or “heel raises” in your report. Each of these has a deeper explanation in the Findings and Muscles sections of this guide.

How we use your angles and alignment to guide your care

The angles and alignments on your report are never the whole story. They are one helpful part of a complete picture that also includes your history, your current symptoms, your training background, and your goals.

At Florida Bodywork, we use this information to:

• See which areas are already doing a lot of work and which areas may be asking for more support
• Decide where hands-on work is most likely to create meaningful change in how you feel and move
• Choose mobility, stability, and strength exercises that match your unique patterns instead of guessing

We also use your initial angles and alignment as a baseline. As we work together, it can be very encouraging to see how these measurements change over time in response to your bodywork and your movement practice.

What to do next with your report

Now that you have a better sense of what angles and alignment represent, you can:

• Look at your report and notice which findings are listed under your angles and alignment
• Visit the Findings and Compensation Patterns post and locate the terms that match your report
• Explore the Overactive Muscles and Underactive Muscles posts to see how those angles relate to specific muscle groups

You do not need to interpret every line and number by yourself. You can bring your questions into your sessions, and we will walk through them with you. This guide is here to make the process feel clear, collaborative, and supportive as you learn more about your own movement.

Your Overhead Squat Assessment, or OSA, is a simple and powerful way for us to see how your whole body works together when you squat with your arms overhead. It is designed as a movement screen that helps us understand how you move. It is not a workout and it is not a test of strength or toughness.

How your OSA was performed

You performed a series of comfortable bodyweight squats with your arms raised overhead. These squats were filmed from the front, from both sides, and from the back. These different views allow us to see how your feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, and arms behave as you move down and up.

If you ever want to review how to perform your OSA, including your stance, arm position, and camera angles, you can use the dedicated “How to Do Your OSA” page. In this Results Guide, we focus on what your results mean.

Assessment Instead of Exercise

Your OSA is an assessment instead of an exercise session. This means you are not trying to push to your deepest squat or to work to fatigue. You stop at your natural, comfortable depth, or at a seat height, or as soon as anything feels sharp, pinchy, or clearly uncomfortable. Your job is simply to move honestly and comfortably. Our job is to interpret what we see and to connect it to your goals and your overall plan.

We are not grading you on how low you go. We are noticing how your body chooses to move with the range you currently have.

What you will see on your OSA report

On your report you will see several sections that work together to give a clear picture of your movement.

• There is a Findings or Compensation Patterns section. This lists the visible patterns in your squat, such as feet that turn out, knees that move inward, heels that lift, a torso that leans more or less than expected, or arms that drift forward.
• There is a Possible Overactive Muscles section. This lists muscles that may be working harder than they need to, earlier than they need to, or in a way that takes over for other muscles.
• There is a Possible Underactive Muscles section. This lists muscles that may not be contributing as well as we would like during your squat. These muscles often benefit from more specific support and strengthening.
• There is a Possible Injuries section. This lists issues that could be more likely over time if certain movement patterns remain unchanged. It does not diagnose any condition on its own. It highlights areas where it can be helpful to pay more attention, especially together with your symptom history and medical care.

You are not expected to fully decode all of this on your own. That is the purpose of this Overhead Squat Assessment Results Guide.

How Florida Bodywork uses your OSA results

At Florida Bodywork, we combine your OSA results with other assessments and with your health history. Together these guide Orthopedic Bodywork sessions at Florida Bodywork, where we use hands on work to address soft tissue and joint restrictions that relate to your patterns.

Your results also guide Orthopedic Fitness and exercise programming at Florida Bodywork, where we design mobility, stability, and strength work that supports your movement and your goals.

Your OSA report can also help with conversations with other professionals you may already work with, such as your physical therapist, trainer, chiropractor, or other movement specialists.

Your OSA is one important piece of your bigger movement and wellness picture. It does not replace your primary care provider and it does not diagnose conditions by itself. It helps us see how you move so that your care can be precise, individualized, and effective.

Where to go next in this Results Guide

Once you have your report open, you can choose what is most important to you right now.

• You can read about Angles and Alignment. That post explains how we read elbow angles, torso lean, and joint positions.
• You can read about Findings and Compensation Patterns. That post explains what common report terms such as “knees move inward” or “inadequate forward lean” mean in your body.
• You can read about Overactive Muscles and Underactive Muscles. That content explains what those lists tell us about which muscles may be working too hard and which may benefit from more support.
• You can read about Possible Injuries, Risk, Symptoms, and Next Steps. That post explains how to interpret that section and when it is helpful to talk with your primary care provider or another qualified medical professional.

You can return to these sections at any time to prepare for your sessions, to review your report, or to plan the questions you want to bring to your care team.