Chapter 4 – Posture
Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by Becky in UVU Online Curriculum
Why is good posture important?
When it comes to posture, your mother did know best. Her frequent reminders to stand up straight and stop slouching were good advice.
Your spine is strong and stable when you practice healthy posture. But when you stoop or slouch, your muscles and ligaments struggle to keep you balanced — which can lead to fatigue, back pain and other problems.
Your spine’s curves
A healthy back has three natural curves:
- An inward or forward curve at the neck (cervical curve)
- An outward or backward curve at the upper back (thoracic curve)
- An inward curve at the lower back (lumbar curve)
Good posture helps maintain these natural curves, while poor posture does the opposite — which can stress or pull muscles and cause pain.
Good standing posture
When standing, keep these tips in mind:
- Hold your chest high.
- Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.
- Pull in your abdomen and buttocks.
- Keep your feet parallel.
- Balance your weight evenly on both feet.
Try not to tilt your head forward, backward or sideways, and make sure your knees are relaxed — not locked.
Take the wall test
To test your standing posture, take the wall test. Stand with your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching a wall, and your heels about two to four inches (five to 10 centimeters) away from the wall. Reach back and slide your hand behind the curve in your lower back, with your palm flat against the wall.
Ideally, you’ll feel about one hand’s thickness of space between your back and the wall. If there’s too much space, tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten the curve in your back. If there’s too little space, arch your back so that your hand fits comfortably behind you. Walk away from the wall while maintaining this posture. Keep it up throughout your daily activities.
Good sitting posture
When seated, keep these tips in mind:
- Choose a chair that allows you to rest both feet flat on the floor, while keeping your knees level with your hips. If necessary, prop your feet with a foot stool or other support.
- Sit with your back firmly against the chair. If necessary, place a small cushion or rolled towel behind the curve of your lower back.
- Stretch the top of your head toward the ceiling, and tuck your chin in slightly.
- Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed — not elevated, rounded or pulled backward.
Keep your shoulders straight
Whether you’re sitting or standing, pay attention to the position of your shoulders. Slouching or rolling your shoulders forward shortens your chest muscles and reduces their flexibility. On the flip side, pulling your shoulders too far back causes your abdomen to stick out too far in front.
Check out your reflection
To see if you’re keeping your shoulders straight, stand in front of a mirror or ask a friend to evaluate your shoulder position. Your shoulders should be in the same position as the image on the left.
It all adds up
Although good posture should be natural, you may feel wooden or stiff at first if you’ve forgotten the sensation of sitting and standing up straight. The key is to practice good posture all the time. You can make improvements at any age. Stretching and core strengthening exercises can help, too.
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Kjera Nunez Rigotti
26. Sep, 2010
This is something I definitely need to work on. I have been a sloucher my whole life. I understand how much healthier it is for one to have good posture. I am going to make it a goal of mine to make a conscious effort at keeping good posture. I will keep this as a section on my fitness journal, so that I will be checking on my progress, and continually reminding myself to practice good posture.
Becky
27. Sep, 2010
I think posture is something all of us need to constantly be reminded of. It’s crazy to realize how much of how we feel can be affected by our posture! Pilates is one thing that has really helped me to be more aware of holding my body in alignment. Thanks for your comment!
Teresa
26. Sep, 2010
I am always reminding my daughter to walk straight however I am the one who needs to be reminded… I am a sloucher. After reading this chapter I am more aware of the importance of keeping a good posture at all times. I sit at work for long hours. I will follow the suggestion of keeping my knees at hip level by taking a small stool or a box to help my feet rest (I am short and they are always dangling).
Becky
27. Sep, 2010
I know how it is–it’s easier to tell our kids to do some things than to do those things ourselves and sitting with good posture is definitely one of them. Bringing a small stool or box to work is a great idea for us vertically challenged people.
Hope this post helped you!
KyLynn James
28. Sep, 2010
Reminding ourselves of good posture is always a good thing to remember. I’m not a sloucher, so instead I usually arch my back (comes from dancing habits) I need to remember to keep my abdominal muscles tight and in so that I do not injure my lower back. Especially while doing Zumba!
Tara Levi
20. Oct, 2010
I have noticed that since being in Zumba, my posture has improved. I don’t think that my posture was really that bad to begin with, but working out regularly definitely helps! A lot of the “positions” used in Zumba require a straight back for you to do the moves right with the rest of your body so you just naturally start to sit up straight more often. It’s great!
Maria Torres
18. Nov, 2010
This reminds me of my mom always reminding me of not slouching and sitting up straight. I sometimes notice that I have pain on my shoulders, back, and lower back. I sit at work all day for eight hours and I slouch on my chair but I will try sitting up straight all the time and that might even help me with my tiredness.
Becca Bjorkman
04. Dec, 2010
Having twins really did a number on my back and as a result, I have TERRIBLE posture! I tend to pull my shoulders too far back due to the fact that I had 11 pounds of babies in my stomach and I had to fight gravity with my gigantic stomach. Before, I had pretty good posture. Now, it is a conscious effort I’m trying to make every day to pull my shoulders in and keep my abs and buttocks pulled in. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be able to maintain good posture without requiring a concious effort.
Becky
04. Dec, 2010
I think most of us have to make a conscious effort where posture is concerned. I can’t imagine carrying twins. Kudos to you, girl!
Noel Seegrist
10. Dec, 2010
All growing up my mom also would constantly tell me to sit up and when I’d ask why she’d tell me she won’t let me become a slouchy old person! Now sometimes when I see someone with poor posture I think of how glad I had my mom taught me to stand straight!
Jerri
28. Jan, 2011
This is an area that we tend to neglect. We always think about our weight, what we wear, how we style our hair . . . but what we look like when we are just standing and sitting is not something we take time to evaluate.
I am becoming much more aware of my body and what it is doing through this class and the Tai Chi class taught by Paul Kawakami. I am just loving both of these classes. Thank you for caring and sharing this information with your students.
Amanda Barlow
10. Feb, 2011
This blog was great because I have always been commented on my posture. I have tried doing the wall test, but it always seemed like I was doing it wrong. The tips on having a good standing posture were really informal and I plan on implementing them into my daily routine now.
With the part about keeping your shoulders straight and how it can help your chest muscles was something new for me. I new that the human body has chest muscles, but I never thought about how beneficial they were for our health besides being able to lift.
What are the benefits of keeping your chest muscles flexible?
Kelley Harper
05. Apr, 2011
I’ve always had bad posture. I know how to do it right but can’t seem to remind myself to do it. Good posture sure does make a difference though.
Danielle Pringle
07. Apr, 2011
I don’t think I have the best posture, so this is a good reminder. My mom was that mother constantly reminding me of my posture, coming behind me and pulling my shoulders back. Parts of that have stuck but I do have some areas to improve on, like posture when sitting. I never have both my feet on the ground when Im in a chair. This post has given me a few things to work on.
Tabs Leiataua
20. Apr, 2011
OMG! I need to work on my posture! I am 6’0 feet tall and has the worst posture ever. I am always leaning forward and never holding a good stance. I notice that my back hurts quite often. I just tried the wall test and yes my body is now telling me to sit/stand/walk properly! Keeping my shoulders straight would be the hardest part.
Rose Grzybowski
21. Apr, 2011
I think everyone in the world struggles with some kind of postural error. We follow by example, and because no one is really taught how to stand properly, we mimic the way everyone else seems to stand. Sometimes it’s okay to learn by example, but with fitness you really need to be carefully guided. It’s similar to breathing, when we are born we breathe through our diaphragm but as we grow older we breathe through our chest and we can see everyones shoulders go up.
brenda contreras
21. Apr, 2011
I am a back sloutcher. I definetly need to work on my posture. I remember when I was in first grade, my teacher would always make sure we had perfect posture even when we would sit in our chairs. She would always come check everyones posture before continuing class and how I wished that would have keep that up. I almost think its hard to have good posture, almost like a back workout.
It makes me want to ask everyone who has good posture and how do they keep that up.
@Li
01. Jul, 2011
Posture is very important to practice, and not only when you are sitting. It’s important to try to keep your posture aligned always, when walking or standing. It truly does make you feel different when you do.
Maira Bardales
16. Jul, 2011
I have noticed that when I workout regularly I have a better posture than when I don’t do anything.
Adriana Bardales
16. Jul, 2011
I know that good posture is very important. The older you get the worse the problem gets, so it’s better to improve your posture when your younger.
@Li
16. Jul, 2011
I’m practicing my posture everyday, sometimes I’ve notied I arch my back to far, and later I’ll feel sore from doing so. Seeing these images helps! thanks
Taylor Adams
29. Nov, 2011
I think all college and highschool students are having a hard time with excersising proper posture; with all of our heavy back packs and slouching over the computer. to top it off, there are more and more people with back problems that contribute to back problems like scoliosis.
QUESTION! – How does having scoliosis effect your posture? and would braces be needed in the possible future for someone with scoliosis and other back problems?
Jerri Kolb
06. Dec, 2011
I have not been as good about posture as I have in the past. Seeing these images really gives me cause to think again about how important posture is, especially, as we begin to change our life styles.
As mothers we take it foregranted that we are busy all day, we don’t generally have time to think about our posture. We are holding babies, baskets of laundry, groceries, sometimes it’s all we can do to take care of these tasks. Thanks for the reminder of how important it is to just take a moment and notice our posture.
Aubrey J.
09. Dec, 2011
Ugh. Okay, I love this reminder because really it does make a difference. I’ve always had okay posture but lately morning sickness and nausea have made me want to stand and slouch forward- almost thinking that would help ease the discomfort? I’m not sure, but now I fear my posture needs some help and these are great practical tips to get me started. It just looks so much better and I know it makes you feel better.
Marie Bradford
10. Dec, 2011
Having good posture is something I could really improve on. I think if I want to feel and look a little healthier and stronger instead of like a slumped over old lady in a few years then I better start changing it now.
I think that the ‘wall test’ and the ‘tips for sitting’ are great ideas. I didn’t know that it is important to sit in a chair where your feet can be flat on the ground with your knees level with your hips. Putting something under my feet to achieve this is something I hadn’t thought of before either. It’s a great idea!