Posture

What is posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body when sitting or standing.

Posture is simply the position in which you hold your body when sitting or standing. Traditionally, "good posture" has been promoted as a way to protect the spine and prevent back pain. It's often described as sitting upright with an aligned spine, shoulders pulled back, and equal weight on the sitting bones. Conversely, slouching or "poor posture" is frequently discouraged and blamed for back problems.

But despite how widespread these beliefs are, there is little scientific evidence supporting a strong link between posture and back pain. In fact, systematic reviews - including a 2022 study by Peter O'Sullivan and colleagues - have found that ergonomic interventions in the workplace do not significantly reduce work-related back pain.

In other words, there is no one "perfect posture", and trying to hold a rigid position all day is not the solution. What matters most is that you keep moving.

Why is sitting up straight difficult to do?

The spine has natural curves, that need to do what they naturally want to do, and that is to be curved. Old fashioned advice of sitting up straight is being recognised as unhelpful.

Why shouldn't I slouch?

Slouching is ok. In fact, slouching is recommended. Slouching bends the lower spine which is essential for spinal health.

Myth busting

• 'Bad' posture is not a cause of neck and back pain
• Sitting up straight is not a sign of good posture
• Pulling your shoulder blades down does not correct your posture

Did you know?

• Muscles need energy to relax, therefore when they are tired, they tense up.
• Muscles get energy when they move, therfore when you move, you 'feed' them oxygen and nutrients.
• muscles work harder when still, therefore when you move, they work less.
• The top of shoulder muscles are perpendicular to gravity, and therefore are working hard against gravity all day everyday until you lay down. Tension in these muscles is definitely normal.
• Too much is too much. Sitting and standing for long periods can be too much for the joints, the muscles and the mind.
• Movement is, and can be imperfect. Exploration of movement and feeling uncomfortable and feeling uncertain is movement.
• Too little can be too little. Not enough movement can cause tension, tiredness, and pain.
• You have conditioned yourself to sit for long hours at work without moving. This is a good skill especially if your job involves sitting at a desk. You are so conditioned that sitting any other way, would be very uncomfortable.

Posture philosophy

Posture is often a product of the patterns we have set ourselves, the brain carves out routes of movements, and we rarely deviate from them. The way we sit or stand, will determine the movemetns we produce in our necks, spine, and limbs, and it is likely that we repeat those movemetns over and over again ever single day.