With a good posture the body is well-positioned and comfortable.
A bad posture increases stress on the body. Excess stress will result in pain and damage, increasing over time.
A go-ogle search for "good posture" returns lots of results (and side-view illustrations) but no clear winner in the definition department:
Standing up tall. No slouching when sitting.
The relative positioning of the head and joints.
The correct curvature of a neutral spine.
Alignment of various parts of the body.
i.e. A lot of talk about the skeletal system and the position of the spine, head and joints. But there is a lack of emphasis on what positions our bones, on what creates and controls our posture - the condition of our muscles and connective tissues are responsible for our posture.
Connective tissues run through the whole of the body, from head to fingers to toes.
When physical restrictions are present within connective tissues our range of movement is reduced. The whole body must adapt to compensate when restrictions are present, negatively affecting posture - our positioning becomes less than ideal.
Restricted connective tissues contribute to poor posture.
Muscles are the body's 'tissues of action', capable of moving our bones and joints into a better position to create a better posture.
Posture can be:
Posture can be improved by consciously working with the right muscles for a sufficient length of time so that an active posture becomes the passive norm.
Muscles adjust the positioning of our bones and joints.
Using the right muscles will improve your posture.
Working with the right muscles facilitates the release of physical restrictions in connective tissues. Releasing restrictions regains movement and allows posture to be further improved. An ongoing process.
The muscles we should focus on using to improve posture are the five main muscles of movement:
These 5 (paired, left and right) muscles provide the central framework for a comfortable body and are the muscles we should focus on using for a better posture.
When fully functional, and the body is free of physical restrictions, the 5 main muscles of movement allow the head, spine and limbs to be in the correct relative positions.
The body is balanced and aligned. Posture is good.
Sensory feedback from the body supplies more information about your posture than can be provided by other means. Becoming aware of this sensory information is the basis of conscious proprioception (our sense of position, motion and balance that is the connection between body and mind).
Increased awareness of your sense of propriocpetion allows you to assess your posture for yourself.
Self-assessment facilitates self-correction of posture. Micro-adjustments in positioning, too subtle to appreciate on clinical exam, can have wide effects throughout the body (everything's connected) which can be felt when the body-mind connection is strong.
Working with the 5 main muscles of movement starts from Base-Line: pelvic floor Base, rectus abdominis Line.
Think of your Base-Line as your 'core pillar of strength' from where the rest of the body extends.
Working from Base-Line increases awareness of the relative positioning of our midline anatomy, the reference for body alignment and balance.
Connecting with your Base-Line will develop your sense of conscious proprioception, allowing you to adjust your positioning and improve posture.
Become more aware of how you use your main muscles of movement (whatever you are doing and whatever position you are in) to assess and improve your posture. It takes time and focus to learn to use the right muscles and improve your posture, little by little improvements are made.
Find your Base-Line.
Feel for yourself.
Posture isn't static - we are constantly on the move, and a good posture means we can move well, free and unrestricted, through a full range of natural movement.
Explore your range of movement, supported by your Base-Line muscles and feel for balance between left and right sides of the other main muscles of movement.
The roll-down action was my go-to move as I focused on activating and extending my Base-Line. Do whatever feels right to you. The more you work with your main muscles the more progress you will make.
Learning to use the right muscles brings an understanding of what a good posture is. The body feels strong and comfortable. Movement flows easily through a full range of natural movement.
The position of the spine is commonly discussed in relation to a good posture, with a "neutral" spine position being the ideal.
A neutral spine is when the all the vertebrae are in a natural position, under the minimal amount of stress.
When seen from the front or back all vertebrae in a neutral spine appear completely vertical i.e. they are aligned on the median plane.
The nuchal and supraspinous ligaments that attach to the posterior (back) of the spine are also aligned.
nuchal & supraspinous ligaments
For a neutral spine, the rectus abdominis muscles need to be "long and strong", fully extended and taking the strain between pelvis and chest. If the rectus abdominis muscles are not fully utilised the lateral abdominal, psoas and other muscles of the lower back bear the burden which has negative effects on the positioning of the lumbar spine.
The gluteus maximus positions the sacrum, linking the base of the spine to the pelvis.
The trapezius muscles must be free of physical restrictions to allow the correct positioning of the thoracic and cervical spine and alignment of the nuchal and supraspinous ligaments.
With an ideal posture stresses are distributed and dissipated in the best/safest/most efficient manner for the activity being undertaken. The body is as strong as it can be.
There are many disciplines that represent ideal postures, demonstrations of the body's capabilities when it is functioning at optimal. For example:
A 'functional posture' is what the brain/body uses day-to-day when an ideal posture cannot be achieved. (When the main muscles of movement are not adequately used and physical restrictions are present on the body).
A functional posture at its most basic:
Subconscious adjustments are made throughout the body - twists, kinks, tilts and compressions - as the brain sees fit, using the 'wrong muscles' in an attempt to compensate for misusage in the main muscles, but the body is imbalanced and imbalance leads to further imbalance.
When faced with a task, the brain/body prepares by activating muscles into an anticipatory posture. "Bracing yourself".
An anticipatory posture should be the ideal posture for the activity - using the main muscles of movement to their full potential - but if that is not achievable the body braces into a functional posture with the use of other muscles that attempt to mimic the action of the main muscles.
Becoming aware of anticipatory postures and the activation of the wrong muscles is an important step in correcting the dysfunction. Breathing with your Base-Line and focusing on the location and activity state of the main muscles of movement will facilitate the correction of bad postural habits that have developed.
It takes time and effort to improve your posture, things only you can provide. Think of how you are put together and what level of body awareness you have.