Good Posture

Is ‘good posture’ being able to stand upright, shoulders back, chin up, chest lifting upwards…. for about 5min or so before collapsing back into the familiar yet generally oh so comfortable slouch, with your rounded shoulders and your head jutting forward?

Most people think about posture as the body’s alignment when sitting or standing still. Good posture has generally been defined in terms of the shape of the various body parts (shoulders, spine, head and neck). It may also have something to do with the way you balance over your feet. This definition is fairly limited. Posture is not only about how you hold your body when you’re still but also how you carry it while you’re moving. Posture is a dynamic activity rather than a static one. Good posture is characterised by a sense of ease, with movement flowing effortlessly. The movement of someone with bad posture looks disconnected and laboured.

Your posture develops from how you interact with the world around you. How we carry our bodies evolves from how we were supported and regarded by other people from the time we were born. For example, tall teenagers often slouch in an effort to fit in with shorter friends, or to not standout from the crowd, or be the centre of attention. Your posture can be influenced by various factors such as personal history, cultural and religious standards, geographical location, weather and clothing, and by what the media and society dictate is an attractive body shape.

Probably the greatest factor that influences your posture is how your body relates to gravity. Our bodies are inherently unstable because they are designed for mobility. This instability enables us to express ourselves though an infinite number of positions and movements. As we develop from and infant on all fours to an adult on two legs the nervous system co-ordinates our motions with increasing complexity. How we stabilise ourselves determines our posture and the freedom and efficiency with which we move.

So, what can I do to start improving my posture?…Simple, MOVE! In this day and age, many of our daily activities require us to perform small repetitive movements (ie. typing, mouse work) and/or maintain stationary position for extended lengths of time (ie. Sitting at a computer, driving). Unfortunately our musculoskeletal systems are not capable of withstanding these sorts of activities for extend periods without repercussions. When a muscle is put under repetitive or constant contraction it will eventually fatigue, this can sometimes result in the muscle tightening, causing a reduction in blood flow, a build-up of lactic acid (sore, achy muscles) and further muscle spasm. If this continues to occur over weeks and months the body will start to lay down collagen fibers (scar tissue) within the tightened muscle tissue making it fibrotic, less elastic and more difficult to stretch. This then leads to restricted movement and function of various joints and body parts, limiting your ability to move, efficiently and effortlessly.

Getting up and moving throughout the day by doing some simple stretches or exercises helps to improve the circulation of blood through your muscles. So, the next time you find yourself sitting at a computer or driving for an extend period of time (greater than one hour) get up and move, go get a glass of water, or go talk face to face with that work colleague in the next room instead of sending an email. If you can’t get up, performing some simple exercises like some shoulder rolls and neck stretches is a good way to help improve the blood flow into those fatiguing muscles.

Remember, good posture should be effortless, relaxed, energy efficient and occur without having to think about it. Our bodies are designed to move, not hold static postures. Prolonged positions and repetitive movement often lead to chronically tight, overused muscles. This then drags our bodies into all sorts of energy draining positions resulting in further misuse of our bodies and bad postural alignment.