What is “Good, Bad & Optimal” Posture?
As soon as you read the words ‘optimal posture’, I am sure the majority of you immediately adjusted the way you’re sitting or standing. Did you straighten your back, pull your shoulder blades back, or tuck your chin in a little? Most of us think our regular resting posture is ‘sub-optimal’. In fact, a 2020 study found 100/100 participants consistently changed their habitual sitting posture to a more upright posture when asked to assume an “optimal” sitting posture (1).
But what is “optimal”? And how far from “optimal” can we deviate from before we experience pain?
As it turns out… there is no such thing as “optimal posture” !
Historically, posture was seen as a means of discipline during military drill formation, and was later adopted in the 16th century by royal families as a sign of higher status. In the modern world, posture is pinpointed as a cause of a variety of aches and pains throughout the body, including the neck, shoulders, and back.
However, research shows that certain postures are not predictive of back pain; There may be certain postures that create pain, but we don’t know what ‘optimal’ is nor do we know how far off a deviation from ‘optimal posture’ causes pain (2,3).
“Bad” posture can be good!
Sometimes we may adopt a certain ‘bad posture’ to get out of pain- In this case, the “bad posture” is actually helpful (ie, ‘good’) as it decreases the pain experience! So, just because poor posture and pain are associated, one does not cause the other (i.e. Causation ≠ association).
Discomfort means it’s time to move!
If I were to ask you to maintain a posture where your arms were held straight out to the sides for an hour, do you think this would be realistic? What if I were to ask you to sit or stand as upright as possible for an hour, do you think you could do it? After a while, you will likely begin to experience some discomfort as any posture that is maintained for a prolonged period of time without change will produce discomfort, but it’s important to highlight that discomfort does not mean damage! The body uses the experience of discomfort as a means of communicating with us – it doesn’t necessarily mean the position is bad, it just means it’s time to move. We must remember our bodies and spines are resilient and robust – we achieve many amazing physical feats throughout our lives, so we must trust and respect these vessels we call our bodies (4).
No two people are the same – there are natural differences in body composition between people that may affect someone’s posture. Rather than focusing on achieving an ‘optimal’ upright posture, it is far more beneficial to focus on regularly changing your posture throughout the day. This can be done by incorporating regularly scheduled movement breaks into your daily routine, taking breaks for every 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted sitting/standing. These breaks don’t have to be elaborate or lengthy- just getting up to get a drink of water or taking a bathroom break is sufficient enough to break the strain of prolonged postures.
Pain and injury are complex experiences that are multifactorial in nature and there are challenges associated with contributing pain (e.g. low back pain) to one sole variable, such as biomechanics (i.e. posture) (5). Everyone experiences pain in different ways depending on varying factors such as emotional/psychological wellness, behaviour and lifestyle habits, social/work relationships, and more (see figure). Instead of solely focusing on trying to fix your posture to eliminate pain, try things like moving more/exercising, sleeping better (quantity and/or quality), eating a well-rounded healthy diet and viewing sunlight regularly. Movement is medicine and has the potential to reduce pain and disease, promote healing, and improve mood and life expectancy.
Main Takeaways:
- Posture isn’t good nor bad – its a position that’s different between everyone – don’t beat yourself up if your posture isn’t comparable to others because we are all different
- If we hold a single position for too long, it may become painful
- Posture does not cause pain, but there may be pain present with certain postures- it is just one small variable in the grand scheme of pain complexity
- Focus more on moving more/exercising, sleep, nutrition, getting sunlight, etc. rather than correcting posture
- Incorporate movement breaks into your daily routine if sitting for >30-45mins uninterrupted
REFERENCES:
- Korakakis et. al. (2020) – Notions of “optimal” posture are loaded with meaning. Perceptions of sitting posture among asymptomatic members of the community
- Swain et. al. (2020) – No consensus on causality of spine posture or physical exposure and low back pain: A systematic review of systematic reviews
- Bertozzi et. al. (2020) – Posture and time spent using a smartphone are not correlated with neck pain and disability in young adults: A cross-sectional study
- Slater et. al. (2019) – “Sit Up Straight”: Time to Re-evaluate
- Cholewicki et. al., 2019 – Can Biomechanics Research Lead to More Effective Treatment of Low Back Pain? A Point-Counterpoint Debate