What exactly is good posture?

When people think of posture, they usually imagine someone sitting tall or perhaps slumped. Or they imagine someone standing tall at attention (like in the military). Posture is the position(s) of a person’s body in space. This includes how we move, like our lifting postures or reaching postures. 

When the spine is in its natural position, the vertebrae stack up over one another. This is what people call “good posture” (also referred to as a neutral spine). This neutral spine posture allows the body to absorb and distribute stresses from everyday activities such as sitting, standing, walking or more intense activities such as running and jumping.

Our spine is designed to move, which means our posture should also move. The spine does not like to remain in any one position for extended times. Our therapists can help teach you to find your neutral spine posture to counteract the slouching to alleviate your pain and improve your overall health!

What you can do to improve your posture

Prolonged slumping while standing or sitting can cause your back, hip/pelvis, and abdominal muscles to become strained and painful. Poor postural habits also impact your overall health by reducing your cardiovascular function, inhibiting your breathing, impacting your balance and gait, and harming your overall mood. 

Our highly trained therapists can educate you about your posture’s impact on your body and teach you simple skills to find and maintain a neutral spine. For example, when you’re standing, imagine your breast bone is lifted towards the sky. This will naturally cause your spine to straighten out — lifting you up — keeping your hips, spine, shoulders, and neck aligned.

Prolonged sitting is the position that puts significant pressure on the lower back. It is essential to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Schedule standing or walking activities at various times throughout the day to ensure you limit your sitting to about 45-60 minutes at a time.

How can physical therapy help my posture?

Physical therapy is the right solution to improving your posture and spinal health. Our physical therapists are experts in evaluating posture and movement. By pinpointing the source of your aches and pains, we can develop a plan for you that will return you to an ideal posture and quickly relieve your pain.

It is normal for people to lose a sense of how their postural muscles work and contribute to the health of their spine. These muscles become weak and uncoordinated with prolonged sitting, before/after pregnancy, and after surgeries or injuries. 

Strength training exercises have been shown to help improve our overall posture. It is vital to make sure your core muscles (i.e., hip/pelvis, back, and abdominal muscles) are strong and integral to practicing proper posture. 

Your therapist will teach you strategies like:

• Stand tall whenever you are standing or walking. 
• Use support when you sit to keep your posture correct. 
• Maintain a straight spine when you lift heavy objects.

We can help you mobilize your spine and strengthen the surrounding muscles to alleviate the pain associated with your poor postural habits.