What is the “best” posture?
Thank you to Jessica Zhang for putting together this blog - enjoy!
Throughout our lives many of us have been told to “sit up straight”, “pull your shoulders back” and “don’t slouch.” While these directives are well-intentioned, this messaging has created an over-emphasis around having perfect posture and the worry that we’ll cause damage to our bodies if we fail to do so.
But here’s the truth: there is no single perfect posture.
The human body is designed to move! We’re not meant to hold one rigid position for long periods of time. Even our bodies know this as we regularly make subconscious postural adjustments such as shifting our weight a little, changing how we sit, or repositioning our limbs. You’ll notice since you’ve started reading this blog, you’ve likely already made a few adjustments yourself - maybe you’re moving right now!
“The best posture is your next posture.”
Studies have demonstrated that in individuals sitting at a desk, those allowed to make more postural adjustments throughout the 1-hour testing period experienced less discomfort! With a 20-minute break where they were allowed to walk around, their discomfort level reduced to baseline levels!
It has also been shown that with increased discomfort, the more subconscious postural adjustments we make. So sometimes when we feel like we can’t sit still or can’t get comfortable, that might be our body telling us we need a little more movement to reset!
So what does that tell us?
Instead of chasing a single “ideal” posture, it may be more helpful to focus on what physiotherapists strive to promote: postural variability - your ability to move in and out of different positions comfortably throughout the day. No posture is inherently bad; it’s staying in any posture for too long that tends to lead to discomfort.
This doesn’t mean posture doesn’t matter at all. It just means that your comfort and adaptability matters more than looking perfectly upright all the time. Slouching, leaning, crossing your legs, sitting tall, or reclining are all healthy positions when they’re part of a constantly changing mix.
What can you do?
Change positions often: shift your weight, adjust how you’re sitting, or alternate between sitting and standing when possible.
Build movement into your routine: set reminders to stand up, stretch, or take a short walk every 20 - 30 minutes.
Listen to discomfort early: discomfort isn’t a sign of damage - it’s often your body’s cue to move or change positions.
Strengthen and expose your body to variety: a body that moves in many ways is more resilient than one trained to hold a single “perfect” posture.
References
Nipaporn Akkarakittichoke, Pooriput Waongenngarm, Prawit Janwantanakul. Effects of Postural Shifting Frequency on Perceived Musculoskeletal Discomfort During 1-Hour Sitting in Office Workers. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics. 2023 Feb 1;46(2):76–85.
Søndergaard KHE, Olesen CG, Søndergaard EK, de Zee M, Madeleine P. The variability and complexity of sitting postural control are associated with discomfort. Journal of Biomechanics [Internet]. 2010 Jul 20 [cited 2023 Apr 26];43(10):1997–2001. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20399433/
A big thanks to Jessica for this blog post (and all her efforts over her placement with us)!
