Everyone is develops posture differently!
It depends on the bony structure you inherit, AND on your lifestyle and habits.
“Good posture is relaxed posture – it should not feel like an effort”. When your posture is balanced, you are not struggling to hold yourself in that posture; you are balanced according to gravity.
Most people know that having a good posture is important, but many of us are unaware of how we stand and sit on a day-to-day basis.
This diagram illustrates four of the more common types of postures; there are variations to these.
From left to right postures are described as;
A. Normal -aligned front and back, side to side …the ankle bone is connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone is connected to the shoulder bone, and the ear
B. Kyphosis/Lordosis – larger than normal curves.
C. Flat back – reduced curves.
D. Sway back – the pelvis is in front of the breast bone (look side ways in a morror)
So why do people have such different postures? This relates to: the body type you inherited, how you modelled your parents’ posture, your emotional state, habits, sitting and walking, and injuries you have stored up…all these can affect your posture.
Your Posture influences;
- how flexible you are
- how you move your body,
- how much ease you have with every day activities,
- aches and pains you develop
- which muscles are weak, tight or strong.
- muscular pain.
Through awareness, observation, feeling and practice, you can make a big difference to your posture to make it more optimal for you.
If poor posture is detracting from your overall physical wellbeing then having it assessed by a qualified physiotherapist can help you correct it, the rst is up to you!
How to correct your posture.
- Awareness – have your posture professionally assessed so you know how to align it specific to you.
- Observation – stand in front of a mirror and observe the alignment of bony landmarks according to the plumb line shown in the image.
- Feeling – Weight should feel evenly distributed over the feet. Feel how the new position you have been shown feels in your body.
- Practice – Check your posture regularly. The more often you do this the more your neuromuscular system will change so it will become automatic. Neuromuscular changes usually take between 3-12 weeks.
- Feedback – Use a mirror to check your posture daily, and check-in with your physio to see you have it right.
Here at Physio Therapy Yoga, we have taught hundreds of people how to realign their posture when sitting, standing and moving to better avoid pain.
