Standing tall

Whether it’s slouching in front of the TV or hunched over at the desk, bad posture can lead to backaches, rounded shoulders, neck pain and more. Helen Hawkes asks the experts for tips on perfect posture.

When you think about good posture, you probably think of the charm school notion of standing up straight and looking alluring. Yes, good posture is attractive and can help us look more statuesque, but knowing how to stand, walk and sit with our bodies in natural alignment can save us from pain now and later.

Good posture can reduce backache, neck ache, and wear and tear on muscles and joints. It can make our daily tasks more effortless and it can keep our bodies in alignment even in old age.

Unfortunately, if we carry our body incorrectly it will slowly grow into that shape. If your shoulders are always forward, you will become a round-shouldered person. If you slump and let your stomach muscles protrude, you will slowly become unable to pull them in.

“Our bodies are designed to be easily upright, but we interfere with that over time,” says Alexander Technique teacher Mary Cerny-Carrigan. “Our muscles tighten up, affecting our posture.”

So how do you get good posture, especially when your muscles have become stuck in the positions that you practise day in, day out from sitting still for hours at a desk, bending and twisting doing chores, or slumping in front of the television? According to Mary, we need to relearn how to move, unlearn bad habits and retrain muscles that help support our body, such as those in our ‘core’, which she describes as the entire length of the spine.

The good news is that gaining good posture is not as difficult as it sounds. It’s more about an attitude adjustment – being more conscious of our body and undertaking some simple exercises that you can do at classes or at home. There are also a wide range of experts – from personal trainers, to Alexander Technique and Pilates teachers, who are willing to help you go from slump to standing tall.

Body awareness
Alexander Technique is a method of adjusting and correcting habitual, misaligned body posture in order to relieve muscle tension and allow the body to move with greater ease and efficiency. It’s also a way to integrate the mind and the body – students are taught to become aware of patterns in everyday activities, such as walking, sitting, standing, bending and lifting.

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