Your Next Posture Is Your Best Posture

Posture

Your Next Posture Is Your Best Posture


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This may come as a surprise to many people, but the thought that there is a perfect posture for standing, sitting or working for a prolonged period of time is a myth. Let's dive right into why this is the case.

Do you remember back to the days of your parents saying things such as, "Don't Slouch!" or "Stand up straight!" Many of us have been conditioned since we were young to believe that there is an optimal posture, and that you must always straighten your spine and pull your shoulder blades back.

Let's be honest for a moment. Can anybody really ever sustain this type of posture all the time? Unless you are a robot, probably not.

The truth is that there are many different factors that impact your posture. Some of these factors are related to how active you are, what type of activities you are active with, your movement patterns, the injuries & health conditions we have, and even your genetics. There is also a lot of research to suggest that your state of mind impacts your posture. Think about how someone looks when they are overly tired or stressed out.

So what truly causes posture-related aches & pains? All of the tissues of your body are subject to stress & strain. Meaning that tissues under significant load over a prolonged period of time can deform and become more likely to cause pain.

Time is the most critical factor to consider.
It is likely not the stress itself, but constant stress over time on a tissue that will eventually lead to increased strain & pain.
Man Computer Work Proper Posture
Time under physical stress also affects the function of 'mechanoreceptors' in your body. These receptors are found within your muscles, ligaments & tendons and function to help your brain analyze the different pressures being placed on your body.

This feedback allows your postural muscles to activate and help absorb some of the forces being placed on you. Sitting in one position for too long causes these mechanoreceptors to become less sensitive, leading us to become less conscious of our posture, and inevitably leading us to slouch into sub-optimal positions.

Instead of trying to maintain the impossibly perfect posture, we should aim to avoid sustained positions. This is where the saying, "The best posture is your next posture" comes into play.

There is a long standing belief that maintaining a neutral posture is effective at preventing and treating back pain. However, new studies don't support this (See the resource provided at the end of this article).

Posture is meant to be DYNAMIC. Your body is built for mobility and is not designed to remain stuck in one position for extended periods of time. If you have a desk job, no matter what position you find yourself in (standing or seated), there will always be some stress being placed on the various structures of your body.
Even if you were to hold the 'ideal' posture all day, you would still likely run into pain eventually.

Consistently changing your posture allows the stresses on those structures to be periodic. So don't stress if you can't maintain the 'perfect' posture and stop trying to relieve back or neck pain by sitting still. The best medicine for these problems is MOVEMENT! Regularly performing some posture exercises can be helpful as well, such as techniques that allow you to open your chest & shoulders and strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades. 

Make use of these quick tips for pain-free posture:

1) Try to sit in different ways throughout the day and pick a few that feel most comfortable for you: Sit up straight, use a lumbar support pillow, sit on a stability ball, sit on the ground, recline back in your chair, etc. 

2) Try to consistently change your position throughout the day. Get creative!: Stand up, sit crossed-legged, kneel on one knee, shift from one hip to another, etc. You can even do your computer work while holding a stretch! (For example: In the picture below, I am working in a 90/90 position to help stretch my hip rotators)

3) Take short movement breaks. Get up and perform some dynamic stretches for a few minutes every hour or so.

It takes a conscious effort to start implementing this tips into your daily work routine, but your body will thank you for it in the future! If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with your family & friends.

Resource referenced: https://www.painscience.com/articles/posture.php
Man Computer Work Stretch

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