Posture Correction

Whenever I mention ‘posture correction’ to people they nearly always react in the same way. Without asking them to do anything people adjust their posture when they hear those magic words. They react as if I’ve just reminded them that they are doing something wrong.

This simple act tells me a lot about what people's preconceptions are about what they think 'good posture' means. Correcting posture for a lot of people means stopping slouching, by pulling the shoulders back, and sticking the chest out.

The ‘standing to attention’ pose is the mental image that many people consider is the 'perfect posture’. Although many people would like to hold this posture all the time, in reality it is not a comfortable position. After about 5 minutes the muscles in the back start to tire and so the person goes back into their slump.

This failed attempt to correct posture can be repeated thousands of times, after which could be the reason a lot of people think that it is a difficult thing to do. In order to improve posture correctly a different perspective is needed. Let me explain.

When I was at school, slouching and slumping was very common amongst pupils much to the disapproval of the some teachers. It was implied that bad posture was as an act of laziness which needed to be corrected with a good dose of discipline. Orders of “Sit up straight!” and “Stop slouching” were the best the staff could come up with to sort out the problem.

In the UK, many schoolteachers don’t realise that bad posture in children is in fact not caused by laziness or a lack of obedience, but largely by the appallingly bad design of school furniture. The typical school table and chair fails to consider certain ergonomic principles and resultantly the child’s posture is slowly ruined though out their school years.

One of the main problems with school chairs is their backwards sloping seats. If you put a pencil on any school chair it would invariably roll towards the back. When the child sits on the seat it causes the pelvis to roll backwards, puts the hip joints out of commission.

Reading and writing at the desk requires the child to lean forward to see their work. It is natural for the child to do so with good posture by using the hips to maintain the healthy shape of the spine. This can only be done when the pelvis sits balanced the correct angle and is prevented by a backwards sloping seat.

If you ever wondered why kids often tilt their chair forward on to the front legs, it is because it allows a better posture. It is an instinctive act that demonstrates the natural tendency for the human body to try and maintain a good posture.

Tipping the chair forward is not properly understood by teachers who see it as a bad habit that is a tripping hazard. In primary schools teachers spend significant effort barking at youngsters, “Will you sit properly, please!?”.

The only way for the child to do their work under these constraints is to hunch their spine. Of course this is not a bad thing if only done once in a while for short periods of time, but holding this posture for hours on end starts to take its toll. After a while it becomes habitual to hold this rounded posture.

An obvious solution to the problem is to redesign school furniture. The real kicker is that this has already been done over 30 years ago! As long ago as the 1970’s, the Swedes realised this whole problem and made seats that sloped forward whilst making the desks sloped backwards. Here's some more info about Dr Madel's furniture for correcting posture. 

It should have been a world wide success, but perhaps due to the very tight school budgets and lack of scientific evidence, they never took off. It’s not that a forward sloping chair costs more than a one that slopes backwards; it’s just that the price drops with volume.

When any product is mass produced the price falls considerably. Current school furniture is so cheap that replacing it all would mean producing at least tens of thousands to be affordable. Only a small number of people even recognise there is a link between current furniture and poor posture, so the demand is far too small.

Scientific evidence would probably kick start a large scale shift away from backwards sloping seats. However, due to the fact that a chair effects posture over many years, it could be that such solid proof is too expensive, especially considering the minute margins of this sector.

In theory, it is possible for everyone to have a perfect posture, but it may be years or decades from realisation before society makes this shift.

The good news is that there is something that the individual can do to help themselves. Once you have bad posture, you are not necessarily stuck with it forever; it’s possible to reverse the damage to enjoy natural poise and perfect posture. The Alexander Technique is a method that has helped thousands to rid themselves of bad posture by becoming conscious of how they use their body.

According to this 100 year old technique, awareness of tension seems to be the key to breaking the cycle of poor posture. Only once you have noticed how you use your body can you make decisions about the way you want to use it. The amount of lessons required for successful posture correction depends on the individual. Some have found that a single 30 minute lesson has done the trick, whereas others have needed weekly lessons over the course of several months.

A typical Alexander lesson involves the teacher directing both the pupil’s thoughts and body in unison. Using light hands, the head is gently guided whilst the pupil is asked to visualise their head as a balloon floating upwards. Using simple these sorts of simple exercises, Alexander lessons involve exploring body awareness whilst walking, sitting and standing. The teacher also will work with the pupil in a lying position as this helps to lengthen the spine. Lying on a padded table with books under the head different parts of the body are gently positioned to aid breathing, relieve pains, and treat various other ailments.

To an average onlooker there doesn’t seem to be much going on in a lesson. There are no violent manipulations or loud crunching sounds. Good posture is regained in much the same as it is lost; silently without fanfare.