Abstract
Introduction: Postural and psychological dysfunction frequently coexist, especially among sedentary adults. The Lagree Method, a full-body, low-impact exercise system, may simultaneously target musculoskeletal alignment and mental health. This exploratory case series examined whether a six-week Lagree intervention could improve forward head posture (FHP), rounded shoulder posture (RSP), and psychological well-being.
Method: Eight recreationally active adults participated in a supervised six-week Lagree training protocol. Postural alignment was assessed using craniovertebral angle (CVA) and forward shoulder angle (FSA) from standardized photographs. Psychological well-being was measured using the PROMIS-29 Profile. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (α = 0.05).
Results: There was no significant change in CVA (p = 0.910); however, FSA significantly improved from 66.14° ± 8.5 to 62.70° ± 8.9 (p = 0.012). PROMIS-29 results showed significant reductions in Anxiety (p = 0.006, d = 1.36) and Fatigue (p = 0.018, r = 0.84). Pain Intensity (p = 0.059) and Depression (p = 0.068) trended toward improvement.
Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests the Lagree Method may effectively reduce RSP and enhance psychological well-being in healthy adults. While FHP did not significantly change, improvements in anxiety and fatigue highlight the potential of integrated, full-body exercise approaches for addressing both physical and mental health outcomes. Future studies with larger samples and longer duration are recommended to confirm these findings and explore clinical applicability.
Keywords
Exercise training, Forward head posture, Lagree methodology, Psychological outcomes