You Don't Have Bad Posture. You Have an Unsupported Spine.

"Sit up straight."

You heard it from parents, teachers, doctors. You try. You pull your shoulders back. You arch your lower back. You hold it for about 45 seconds before your body quietly collapses back to where it was. And then you feel vaguely guilty about it. It's the default advice for bad posture, and it rarely lasts.

Why "Sit Up Straight" Doesn't Fix Bad Posture

Here's the truth: forced posture doesn't work. And it's not your fault that it doesn't. A 2019 editorial in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, co-authored by physiotherapy researchers Diane Slater and Peter O'Sullivan, made the same point to clinicians directly: the long-held assumption that "poor" posture causes pain doesn't hold up well under scrutiny, and rigidly correcting it isn't well supported by the evidence.

Bad posture is not a habit. It's a strength and mobility problem.

When the muscles designed to support your spine — the deep stabilisers, the mid-back extensors, the lower trapezius — are weak or underused, your body finds other ways to stay upright. It grips. It compensates. It uses the wrong muscles. No amount of willpower changes the underlying capacity.

Better Fixes for Bad Posture Than "Sit Up Straight"

Here's something more useful than "sit up straight":

Sternum lifts — shoulders soften. Instead of pulling your shoulders back (which tends to compress the mid-back), try floating your sternum upward — as if a string attached to the centre of your chest is gently lifting it toward the ceiling. Your shoulders will naturally find a better position. Your upper back will lengthen. Your breath will open up. And it will feel sustainable, not forced.

The "back body widens" cue. Your back is wide. Most people only inhabit the front of themselves — chest forward, shoulders rounded. Try consciously sending your awareness to the back of your body. Imagine your shoulder blades gently widening apart across your back, like two wings softly opening. Breathe into the back of your ribs.

Your pelvis is the foundation. Your lumbar spine sits on top of your pelvis. If the pelvis is tilted — forward (which creates excessive arch in the lower back) or backward (which flattens and collapses the whole spine) — nothing above it can find neutral. Before you think about your shoulders, find your pelvis. Most of us, after years of sitting, have a slightly posteriorly tilted pelvis — the tail tucked under, the lower back flat. Gently find the natural curve. Imagine your tailbone pointing straight down rather than tucking under.

Bad Posture Isn't a Discipline Problem

Bad posture is not about discipline. It is about capacity. Build the capacity, and the posture follows.

If bad posture has felt like something you can never quite hold onto, be patient with yourself. Capacity builds slowly, and it's already on its way. We'd love to have you join us for a class — check out our schedule here to find a time that works for you.