Our bodies work best when they’re in proper alignment, which is affected by our posture. Practicing good posture helps our bodies work more efficiently and experience less pain. The best way to correct poor posture is to start with small, easy-to-make changes. Here is one you can practice right now.
Quick Posture Check
Use a yoga strap or belt with a buckle that will hold the strap taught. Place one end of the strap at your hip joint. Having trouble locating your hip joint? Lift your foot off the ground by bending at the knee. You should be able to feel the spot where your hip joint moves. Adjust the length of the strap so it doesn’t touch the ground. Look in a mirror to see where the strap falls.
If your strap is falling forward from your ankle, as in the photo on the left, you are leaning too far forward and likely putting weight in the front part of your foot. This is not good posture.
Our bodies are designed to stack up like a building. One story is stacked directly on top of the next. Our knee joint should be stacked over the ankle joint. The hip joint should be stacked over the knee.
Back up your hips until you see the buckle line up with your ankle, as in the photo on the right. You may feel like you are about to topple backward. With practice, this sensation will go away. You want to feel the weight of your body in your heels.
A small change with an enormous impact
This small change can make a world of difference in your experience of pain and tension immediately and over time. This is how you are designed to stand. This small change will help with pain in the feet, calves, hips, low back, and neck. Seems like a pretty hefty promise, I know, but posture is powerful.
Consider this: leaning your body forward is like holding a bowling ball with your arms outstretched. It takes a lot of work. If you are going to hold something for a long time, you hold it as close to your body as you can or even put it on your shoulder. Leaning forward constantly is asking your body to do a lot of extra work.
Another quick check can be done by looking at the side seam of your pants. Is it vertical, or does it angle forward? Try to make your seam vertical. The next step is stacking the shoulders over the ankle, then the ear over the shoulder.
You don’t have to be in perfect posture all the time, but this simple posture should feel as comfortable as any other posture. If it doesn’t, your muscles are out of balance, and your fascia works overtime to support your body. Poor posture plays a huge role in tension and pain.
Improve Your Posture Today
If you can’t seem to change your posture, get help. Take a stretching workshop or get one-on-one myofascial release. This softens your body and makes better posture more achievable and comfortable.
Learn more about posture in my on-demand course. You’ll see that making small changes can have a huge impact.
It’s your move!
Updated January 29, 2024