Center of Gravity Explained: A Comprehensive Guide
What is the body’s center of gravity to understand and maintain a healthy posture and balance?
Center of Gravity
The human center of gravity, or COG, also known as the center of mass, with the two terms being interchangeable, is where the body’s weight appears to be concentrated. It’s a point in space where the entire body’s mass can be concentrated. When standing upright, the COG is generally located behind the navel and in front of the sacrum, around the level of the second vertebra. (Le Huec, J. 2011) The center of gravity is related to posture, including issues such as swayback, the design of posture exercise programs, and much more.
- Gravity is a downward pull or force the Earth exerts on the body, creating weight. (NASA, 2013)
- The center of gravity (COG) is where a body’s weight is equally balanced in all directions. (Physiopedia, 2025)
- When the COG is defined, it is done from the reference of a static, standing position.
- Because the body is in motion when we change positions, the COG is located in a new position with each new position.
- The center of gravity is the point around which all the parts balance, which may be inside or outside the body.
- Even slight changes in position can change where the COG is. (Physiopedia, 2025)
Key aspects of the COG
Location
- When standing upright, the COG is typically found at the second vertebral level, behind the navel and in front of the sacrum. (Le Huec, J. 2011)
Shifting COG
- The COG can shift depending on body position, posture, and movements like bending forward or backward. (Physiopedia, 2025)
Balance Impact
- The relationship between the COG and the base of support (the area of the body in contact with the ground) is fundamental to maintaining balance.
Variations
- There can be variations in the COG location based on factors like gender (men tend to have a slightly higher COG), body shape, and even conditions like obesity or chronic low back pain. (Physiopedia, 2025)
Biomechanics
- Understanding the COG is crucial in biomechanics and movement analysis, as it’s an index of total body motion and how the body responds to external forces.
The Human Center
The center of gravity is the point at which the body’s mass is equally balanced. This point changes depending on one’s position:
- Arms up/down
- Leaning
- Turning
With strength and flexibility training, the human body can change its center of gravity, as gymnasts and dancers do.
- When standing, the center of gravity is normally located behind the navel and in front of the sacrum bone (made up of five vertebrae fused vertically) at about the second vertebra level. (Hasegawa K. et al., 2022)
- Because the body has moving parts, its overall shape changes every time it moves. Carrying something like a suitcase or grocery bag or wearing a backpack adds weight to some areas but not others, changing the center of gravity as it does.
- The center of gravity is a continually changing point inside or outside the body that represents where the weight or mass of the rest of the body is equally balanced in every direction.
- This point can and does change based on what is being carried and how it is carried, as well as body position and movements.
Chronic Lower Back Pain
- A study in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation found that individuals with chronic lower back pain tend to have their center of gravity located excessively towards the back. (Kim D. H., Park J. K., & Jeong M. K. 2014)
- In the study, the individuals had decreased low back strength upon extension and a reduced normal low back curve.
- The researchers found that those with chronic lower back pain whose center of gravity was too far back may need physical therapy to retrain the body to overcome strength and balance challenges to re-establish and maintain a healthy posture.
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References
Le Huec, J. C., Saddiki, R., Franke, J., Rigal, J., & Aunoble, S. (2011). Equilibrium of the human body and the gravity line: the basics. European spine journal: official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 20 Suppl 5(Suppl 5), 558–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-1939-7
NASA. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. (2013). What is gravity? Retrieved from https://gracefo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/5/what-is-gravity/
Physiopedia. (2025). Centre of gravity. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Centre_of_Gravity
Hasegawa, K., Amabile, C., Nesme, M., & Dubousset, J. (2022). Gravity center estimation for evaluation of standing whole body compensation using virtual barycentremetry based on biplanar slot-scanning stereoradiography – validation by simultaneous force plate measurement. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 23(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04948-5
Kim, D. H., Park, J. K., & Jeong, M. K. (2014). Influences of posterior-located center of gravity on lumbar extension strength, balance, and lumbar lordosis in chronic low back pain. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 27(2), 231–237. https://doi.org/10.3233/BMR-130442