What is Posture? How to Correct Posture?

What is Good Posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body.  The most common postures described relate to holding your spine upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. You could also refer to this as your spinal posture, back or neck posture.

However, good posture can actually relate to any body part and how you hold it in space.
Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities.

Standing with the correct posture not only looks and feels better but it's healthy for your muscles, joints, circulation and self-esteem.

What is Good Posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body.  The most common postures described relate to holding your spine upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. You could also refer to this as your spinal posture, back or neck posture.

However, good posture can actually relate to any body part and how you hold it in space.

Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. 

Benefits of Good Posture

Good posture: 

• Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.

• Keeps your bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used efficiently and properly.

• Helps minimalise joint stress.

• Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.

• Prevents strain or overuse problems.

• Prevents backache and muscular pain.

• Contributes to enhanced confidence and a good appearance!

Standing comfortably with good posture should feel natural and energy efficient. However, we are all creatures of habit and a change of posture may initially feel uncomfortable or tiresome as your joints  realign, ligaments stretch and postural muscles start working.

The good news is that if you keep at maintaining a good posture your body will quickly adapt and you'll feel more comfortable and strong in your new normal posture.

Plus... the up side is that not only will you be less likely to suffer pain, you'lllook confident and feel fantastic too!

How to Improve Your Standing Posture:

If we had to give you one tip about great standing posture it would be to "stand tall"! All the muscles that you need to push you taller are the same ones that improve your posture.

• Stand tall!

• Hold your head up straight with your chin in. Do not tilt your head forward, backward or sideways.

• Keep your earlobes in line with the middle of your shoulders.

• Keep your shoulders back, your knees straight and your back straight.

• Let arms hang naturally down the sides of the body

• Lightly draw in your core stomach muscles. Do not tilt your pelvis forward.

• Avoid locking the knees

• Ensure your feet arches are in a neutral (not flat) position.

• Stand with weight mostly on the balls of the feet, not with weight on the heels.

• Keep feet slightly apart, about shoulder-width

• If standing for a long period of time, shift weight from one foot to the other, or rock from heels to toes.

How to Quickly Check Your Standing Posture

Stand against a wall with shoulders and bottom touching wall. In this position, the back of the head should also touch the wall - if it does not, the head is carried to far forward (anterior head carriage).

Do You Need Help to Correct Your Posture?

If can't comfortably correct your posture, you may have some restriction of joint, ligament or muscular movement. All of these problems can be quickly assessed and quickly improved by your physiotherapist.

If you are having difficulty maintaining a normal upright posture your are likely to have muscle endurance or strength deficitis. Your physiotherapist is an expert in prescribing the right exercises for you in a stage-appropriate manner to help your improve your posture without causing unnecessary pain or injury.

Contact your physiotherapist for posture advice specific to you and your needs.


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