“Perfect” posture is a myth

Having bad posture can result in annoying neck or lower back pains. Over time, it can even result in chronic health issues. As such, many of us become conscious of having good posture. In fact, it gets to a point where we desire to attain a gold standard in standing, sitting and moving. However, is there really such a thing as a ‘perfect’ posture? Is there really one best posture for everyone?

The truth is that you can never settle for perfect, unchanging posture. This is because having one posture in itself is not good for you. A good posture is one that is dynamic, which means that it will continually change. Your body should be moving and you should be active in changing your posture regularly. The secret to ridding your backache is to have more varied postures instead of being stagnant and sticking to one static, “best” posture.

According the Emile Dumont, founder of The Posture Lab, taking a dynamic approach to posture enables you to break down movement patterns that are inconsistent with your baseline movement. It can even identify under or over developed muscles that are affecting your posture. Do you realise that you favour leaning on your left as opposed to your right? Do you tend to hunch? Given that we tend to go ahead with the path of least resistance, your preferences tell you a lot about the state of your muscles.