Gone are the days of ‘chest out shoulders back’. The perfect posture is much more subtle than this, these extreme postural corrections we realise are not at all helpful and can ultimately create more problems. Whilst in the long term it should feel effortless initially it won’t – far from it!
Benefits of good posture
Good posture is a labour of love but worth it to feel:
- Fewer aches and pains.
- Look and feel younger, taller and slimmer.
- Reduce strain through your muscles and joints.
- Move around easier.
- Develop fewer injuries.
- Recover from injuries quicker.
- Breathe easier.
- Keep active into older age.
So why is it such a challenge?
Muscle memory
Your body and brain are used to moving in a certain way and holding you in certain positions/postures. These movement patterns are to some degree memorised and work on autopilot – so they are not under our conscious control. I see it a bit like a habit and as we know habits are hard to change but with effort and regular input it is possible.
Try this;
- Find times to check in with your posture regularly during the day.
- Ideas – teeth brushing, waiting in a queue, waiting for the kettle to boil, sitting in a traffic jam.
Keep correcting your posture regularly during the day and over time you will find yourself spending more time in a good posture rather than a bad one. Please be patient, this will not happen overnight but more likely over months.
I don’t stand like that! – Do I?
It is very difficult to identify that your posture is not ideal. I see this all the time in the clinic when as part of an initial assessment I assess posture – my aim is to get a full picture of what is going on. People are often shocked at what I observe. This is because your posture is normal to you and unless you have a very extreme posture these postural changes are often difficult to spot. This is such an important step because unless you are aware of what you are doing wrong how can you even begin to correct it?
Try this;
- Ask friends and family for feedback on your posture.
- Ask someone to take a picture of you from the front and side angle, and try and take this straight on.
- Observe yourself in the mirror.
Normally what happens when people know I am assessing their posture is that they stand up a little bit straighter than normal! So try and stand in a relaxed pose as it will be easier to see where you are going wrong.
Muscle weakness and imbalance
If your posture is currently not ideal then this is because you are not engaging the correct muscles to maintain an ideal posture. To maintain a good posture you need to be engaging the correct muscle. So here lies the problem and this is why posture does not improve without effort and intention.
To gain a good posture and maintain it throughout the day you need to be using the correct muscles correctly. The key muscles for a good posture are your bottom muscles (gluteals), your deep abdominal muscles (core), your back muscles and your rotator cuff (deep shoulder) muscles. These are often weak and inactive in people with postural issues.
Try this;
- In standing try and take your weight back through your heels, most people have too much weight through their toes, but in an ideal posture, most of your weight should be through your heels. Toes should be on the floor but with minimal weight through them, do not be tempted to lift your toes. You may notice when you do this that you feel your deep abdominal muscles kicking in this is your core activating. Initially, you will feel like you are tipping back but gradually work into this and you will soon find it easier and less extreme.
- In standing or sitting gently draw your shoulder blades down your back, it feels a little like you are widening your shoulders.
Summary
So, it’s not easy but it is worth the effort. Probably about 95% of patients I see in the clinic have postural issues and it is these unhelpful postures that have contributed to their pain and injury. If you choose not to address these issues now then unfortunately with time they tend to get worse and become a bigger problem and then take longer to change. This blog is just a start but there is much more for you to learn and look at to make changes to your posture. Please see some of my other posture blogs, and take a look at my FREE posture booklet or the FREE online posture course which only takes 35 minutes. If you are ready to invest in yourself and make big changes then join me on my Pain Free -BODY- online course. Where I lead you step by step through a full postural assessment to identify your specific problems. Teach you how to correct them. Then finally, but most importantly take you through a full programme of exercises and techniques, giving you the strength needed to maintain this ideal posture and make long-term changes to your body and quality of life. I take nearly all of my patients in the clinic through this same programme, helping to resolve their pain but also ensuring that it doesn’t return in the future. This is great for those of you with general aches and pains or those who get pain after long periods of sitting or standing. Let’s begin your Pain Free -START-
Take care, Helen
Helen Manders BSc (Hons), MCSP, HCPC.
