Do you spend a lot time staring at a computer screen?
Folded into an office chair?
Or maybe you spend all day driving a car. Or rocking a baby. Or staring at your phone.
Have you ever thought about what the perfect posture is for each of these tasks?
You probably have. And it’s probably some version of ‘sit up straight’, ‘shoulders back’, ‘eyes forward’.
And just like the 1950s private school teachers who were famous for barking these commands – the advice is outdated.
The truth is, every posture can cause pain and imbalance and dysfunction if you spend too long in it. And every posture is acceptable if you spend a short enough time in it.
What does this mean?
If you spend all day sitting up straight with ‘textbook perfect’ posture, you’re likely to do long term damage.
So what’s the alternative?
Slump…
Occasionally.
Then sit up straight…
For a little while.
Then hunch forward like a gargoyle…
Until that gets uncomfortable.
Then sit on one cheek…
Then the other.
Fidget. And move. Then walk. Then slump. Then stand. And sit. Then lie.
Long story short. There is no perfect posture. Any one position held for too long can do damage. So mix it up.
Our body has evolved for variety and movement. Give it what it needs.
