Posture is one of my favorite fitness topics. The reason I find it intriguing is that posture frequently is overlooked and yet it’s so important. Everyone knows about strength, flexibility, and cardio forms of fitness. But posture as a type of fitness?
I believe that posture tells us a lot about our fitness. Good posture requires…
- muscles and bones to be strong to create/maintain the structure of the body
- flexibility of hamstrings, spine, chest, shoulders, upper back, and other areas
- body awareness
ADDS UP OVER THE YEARS
The trick with posture is that we can get away with poor posture for a very long time with no negative consequences. But eventually poor posture changes the alignment of legs, pelvis, spine, shoulders, and head. If we don’t make a correction, the misalignment can result in permanent hunch, loss of height, and back pain.
CREATE SPACE
Perhaps the biggest overlooked benefit of good posture is that it creates space inside the chest cavity for heart and lungs to do their thing. The heart and lungs function because of movement. The heart pulses. The lungs expand and contract. Hunched posture reduces the space the heart and lungs have available to move. Not good! Let’s stand up tall and give our hearts and lungs the space they need to pulse and expand freely.
WHAT TO DO
Developing perfectly correct postural alignment can be complicated. Our bodies have a lot of parts to align. For example, the spine is an S-shape, not a straight line. The spine’s shape is dramatically affected by the pelvis on the low end and the head on the top end.
It’s interesting to note that the spine’s S-shape actually creates a stronger structure than a straight line. Our bodies really are quite amazing!
However, for our purposes, let’s keep it simple. Is it as easy as just “standing up taller”? Well actually yes! Posture improves dramatically simply by making an effort to stand and sit taller. It’s not hard and you don’t need me to tell you how to do it. Standing tall actually feels good because it takes pressure off the spine and gives space to the intervertebral discs.
80/20 RULE?
How about this? Stand and sit with tall posture 80% of the time and it’s okay to slump into the couch 20% of the time. That seems reasonable!
POSTURE EXERCISES
I’ve been talking for years about using a wall to check your posture. I call it The Wall Technique. It’s such a simple idea. A wall never changes but our posture does change over the decades if we don’t tend to it. By positioning yourself against the wall you will feel what correct, tall posture is supposed to feel like. There is a bit of technique to it. Watch this video to make sure you’re doing it correctly.
Keeping your back mobile with movement is a great way to improve your posture. Check out these two movements. They are so simple, yet profoundly effective if you do them frequently.
SPINE FLOW
STRONG AND TALL
Finally, having good posture gives you a look and a feeling of confidence. We are staying ahead of aging, and we have the “Fit Person” mindset. Fit people maintain good posture because it helps them feel healthy, fit, strong, and confident. Tall posture is worth the small but consistent effort it requires. No drill sergeant required. Just remind yourself every day.
