Posture Pavlov

I want to build healthy habits, like writing every day and correcting my posture. The creation of this blog checks the first goal off of my list (you’re reading the results right now). Improving my posture, on the other hand, is already making me doubt my ability to stick with any healthy habits--and it’s only been about five minutes. The desire to slouch is fervent, yet I must persevere.

Why does posture matter?

Posture is the position we settle into while sitting, lying down, standing, and walking. To consider your posture “good” or “healthy,” you’re aiming for proper alignment of your body and the right amount of tension from the correct muscles. Good posture helps with your balance, and also minimizes the negative effects that can accompany poor posture.

When we carry ourselves with “bad” or “poor” posture, our muscles still hold tension, but not the way we want them to. The deeper muscles meant to support healthy posture aren’t being used as intended, thus weakening and tightening them. Not only does this increase the likelihood of several health issues, but it also makes correcting our posture all the more difficult.

Why does good posture hurt?

Healthy posture should not be painful, but after years of slouching it can be fairly uncomfortable. Likewise, it may be uncomfortable for someone with perfect posture to start slouching out of the blue. In either case, the cause of the discomfort is the shift in which muscles are doing the work.

If you’ve spent several years holding yourself to the same position, stretching yourself another way can feel unfamiliar. Your body has spent so long adjusting to the poor posture that it feels the best even though health-wise it’s the worst. I’m not a muscleologist so I won’t speak on which muscles specifically affect which positions, but you can read more about how your postural muscles play a role in this on the ACA website.

The good news about the discomfort that comes along with correcting our posture is that it isn’t permanent. If we are mindful of our posture and correct it often, we can strengthen the muscles that have been previously slacking off. Assuming that we take this task seriously, we could get to the point that slouching feels less comfortable than sitting up straight!

The bad news is that we have to endure the process of correcting our posture before we reach that point, and boy, it’s rough. I’ve done my best to maintain decent posture while writing this, and my spine is begging me to hunch wickedly over my laptop like Gargamel as he plots against the Smurfs. I am in agony, and I’ve even let myself slouch for a moment between paragraphs as a little treat.

What’s the solution?

There are plenty of ergonomic products designed to help with this issue, but I’m broke so I’m not buying anything, and I’m not expecting you to either. Unfortunately, that means we have to put in all the work to fix this ourselves.

Classical conditioning and daily stretching are the two strategies that I recommend, and that I will be personally implementing into my life as well. (It would be sort of awkward for me to assign you these tasks without following through with them myself.) Let me elaborate on each.

Classical Conditioning

One of my main problems when it comes to correcting my posture is the fact that I have more on my mind than just sitting up straight. If I’m invested in a book or show, my focus is on that activity rather than the way I’m sitting. Even if I remember to take a moment to straighten myself out before starting a video, I’ll likely have slouched into a more comfortable position within minutes. Long story short, I’m not always conscious of my posture. None of us are.

Rather than hopelessly giving up here, we can try to Pavlov ourselves into fixing how our bodies are aligned. We just have to link our posture to another action we perform regularly. To do so, first choose a task that you engage in at least several times a day. Maybe you read a book in your free moments throughout the day, or fit in a few rounds of a video game.

Next you need to connect your activity to posture in some way, so that your daily activities serve as reminders to readjust. With the examples above, you might make a bookmark or put a sticky note on your gaming console that says something related to posture. In my case, I’m conditioning myself to adjust my position whenever I check my phone. To make sure the association sticks, I’ve edited this off-putting image to use as my phone lockscreen.

Then, when your chosen activity reminds you to adjust, take a moment to assess what stress you may be holding in your neck, shoulders, and back. If your shoulders are hunched forward, roll them back. If you’re putting lots of pressure on your sacrum, shift the way that you’re sitting. You get the idea.

Daily Stretching

I’m not asking you to join a workout class or go to the gym, but I am suggesting that you set aside at least five to ten minutes to focus on stretching your body each day. Earlier I mentioned that your underused muscles may have weakened over time and tightened up due to constant poor posture, but you can create a short yoga routine to target these areas. Plus, you can choose the poses that work best for you! If you’re not up for a challenge, there are many relaxing positions that still help increase your flexibility and ease tension.

To focus on lengthening my spine, my morning routine will involve moves that I find beneficial and still relaxing. These poses include cat-cow, child’s pose, and upward dog. These three moves are all simple and comfortable, and will serve as a good starting point for anyone discouraged by the idea of incorporating yoga into their daily routine.

Final Thoughts

By following through with these habits, hopefully our overall posture will improve. If not, then at least we will have created a healthy habit with daily stretches. And we will also have created a slightly strange habit by conditioning ourselves to think “posture” whenever we try to engage with one of our regular hobbies. I’m really rooting for improved posture, though--for all of us.

Then again, if all else fails, I will be removing my spine. Keep an eye out for a new article on that topic, if we reach that point.