How Posture Affects Your Balance and Why It Matters
Essential Points:
Posture Directly Influences Balance and Stability: Maintaining proper body alignment, both when still and in motion, ensures efficient movement, reduces muscle strain, and helps keep your center of gravity over your base of support, enhancing overall balance.
Poor Posture Can Lead to Imbalances and Fall Risks: Chronic poor posture, such as forward head tilt or rounded shoulders, forces compensatory movements that can impair balance, especially in older adults, increasing the risk of falls and injury.
Good Posture Supports Health and Performance: Proper posture improves not only balance but also breathing, movement efficiency, and even mental focus, benefiting everyone from athletes to older adults aiming to maintain independence.
Posture, it’s more than just standing up straight. It’s essential for balance, stability, and overall health. Whether you’re sitting, walking, or playing sports, posture affects how efficiently you move and how confident you feel. For older adults, it can prevent falls and preserve independence, while athletes gain an edge in performance and stability.
In this article, we’ll dive into what posture is, why it matters, and how improving it can enhance your balance and physical well-being.
What is Posture and Why Does It Matter?
When we talk about posture, we’re referring to the way you hold your body. Good posture is about maintaining proper alignment of your spine and body parts, whether you’re standing still or in motion. (1, 2) Ideally, good posture involves:
A neutral spine, with a slight inward curve at the lower back, a gentle outward curve at the upper back, and a neutral to slightly inward curve position for the neck.
The inward curve of the low back (lumbar spine) and neck (cervical spine) is termed lordosis and is normal in small to moderate amounts.
The outward curve of the upper back (thoracic spine) is termed kyphosis and is normal in small to moderate amounts.
Shoulders rolled back into a neutral position, not slouched forward or excessively pulled back.
Ears aligned with the shoulders, avoiding a forward head position.
Hips, knees, and ankles stacked in a way that keeps the center of gravity aligned over the base of support.
Types of Posture
Static Posture: This is how you hold yourself when you’re not moving such as when sitting at your desk, standing in line, or even lying down. Static posture involves maintaining stability without movement. (2)
Dynamic Posture: This refers to how you hold yourself when you’re in motion, like walking, running, or lifting something. Dynamic posture is crucial because it affects how well you move and maintain balance as you transition between different activities. (2)
Impact of Poor Posture
Common examples of poor posture include slouched shoulders, a forward head position, or an exaggerated curve in the lower back that are chronic. (1, 2) These positions can lead to muscle imbalances, joint strain, shift in center of gravity, and restricted movement. (3) Poor posture affects the efficiency of your body mechanics, forcing certain muscles to overcompensate while others remain underused, which directly impacts balance.
It’s important to note that this is only if these poor postural positions are chronic. (4, 5) The body and spine are meant to move in numerous ways, and everyone’s anatomy is slightly different. No one way of moving or carrying your posture is wrong, but carrying yourself in suboptimal ways chronically can lead to excessive strain on some body areas and lead to future issues.
Even the “perfect” posture can be overdone if held for too long. You should always think of this saying when it comes to posture, “the best posture is the next posture,” as this emphasizes the idea that we always want to be moving to spread the load throughout the body. This in turn can help reduce any chronic issues that could occur.
The Connection Between Posture and Body Mechanics
Proper posture allows your body to function optimally by placing the least amount of strain on muscles, ligaments, and joints. (6, 7) It encourages your muscles to work together harmoniously, reducing wear and tear while optimizing your movement and stability. Without good posture, your body has to work harder to maintain balance, leading to fatigue and increasing the risk of injury. (8, 9, 10)
The Relationship Between Posture and Balance
Posture can play a vital role in how well you balance, especially as you age. It directly influences the alignment of your spine, pelvis, and feet, all of which are crucial for maintaining stability over your base of support (BOS). Here’s a closer look at some of the key components:
Alignment of the Spine, Pelvis, and Feet: Proper alignment means that your head, shoulders, and hips are in a straight line, with your feet planted firmly on the ground. This alignment helps distribute your body weight evenly, making it easier to balance. Medical professionals will often use a plum line or grid behind a patient to better visualize any postural deficits. (1, 11)
Center of Gravity: Your center of gravity (COG) is the hypothetical point in your body where gravity tends to act the most. (12) In the human body, the COG tends to be located roughly between your pelvis and belly button. Good posture keeps your COG aligned over your BOS (your feet) without needed compensations, which minimizes the effort needed to stay upright and balanced. (13)
A common compensation for a changing COG and lack of balance is widening of the feet. The wider your feet are, the wider your BOS is, leading to improved stability even in those with balance deficits.
The Body's Alignment Over the Base of Support
When your posture is off, like when you have a forward head tilt or anterior pelvic tilt (sticking you butt out), it shifts your COG forward, increasing the likelihood of losing balance. (8, 14) By promoting a more upright posture we can stay closer to the middle of the BOS and have more room for error in all directions during our daily activities. (13)
You can learn more about the relationship between the center of gravity and base of support in my Base of Support Model video. This was made in the early days of SoF, and is on my list to update and refresh, but it is a good visual for how this interaction works.
How Poor Posture Impairs Balance
Common Postural Issues That Impact Balance
Forward Head Posture: Often caused by excessive injury, poor ergonomics, or even disease. This posture shifts your head in front of your body’s centerline, affecting your center of gravity’s position over your base of support.
Rounded Shoulders: This can often be linked to weak upper back muscles and tight chest muscles, or habitual slouching, leading to a slumped appearance that hinders balance and shifts your center of gravity forward.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt: Characterized by the pelvis tilting forward, this posture often results in a swayback (overextending) appearance and affects core stability. This can often lead to back pain and overall change in alignment of the spine and lower legs shifting COG.
Weak Core Muscles: Without strong core support, it’s difficult to maintain neutral postures, leading to compensatory adjustments that compromise balance and can add additional stress to the lumbar spine.
Musculoskeletal Impacts
Poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances, particularly in the hips, back, and core. Here’s how:
Tight Hip Flexors and Weak Glutes: Poor posture can tighten the hip flexors and relatively weaken the glutes, which are crucial for stabilizing your pelvis and maintaining an upright position.
Lower Back Strength and Core Stability: A strong lower back and core are essential for maintaining a neutral spine. Weakness in these areas often leads to poor posture and diminished balance.
Overcompensation: When one muscle group isn’t doing its job due to poor posture, other muscles step in to compensate. This leads to further imbalances and an increased risk of instability and injury.
Impact on Aging
The body can and will try to compensate for any one of these postural issues by rebalancing the rest of the body, especially when young. (15) This is why you will often see many postural issues in combination, rather than a singular issue. As a child, this will not lead to significant balance issues as the nervous system is capable of adapting well, but this changes as you age. (16) Older adults have a much harder time adapting their postural control strategies making a fall more likely. (17) This can be due to slower actions by the nervous system, but also due to decrease range of motion and muscular strength that limit the available options for balance correction of the body. (18) Range of motion and strength deficits can both be linked in some cases to poor chronic posture over many years due to imbalance of musculature and changing joint morphology (shape of a joint) due to abnormal forces over long periods.
Benefits of Good Posture for Balance
Improved Alignment
Good posture optimizes the alignment of your body, ensuring that your head, shoulders, spine, and hips are in a straight line. This alignment minimizes strain on your muscles and joints, making it easier to maintain balance with less effort. (19, 20)
Efficient Movement
Proper posture allows for efficient movement patterns, reducing the risk of injury. When your posture is aligned, your muscles work together effectively, which is especially important for athletes who need to perform precise, coordinated movements. (19, 21, 22)
Enhanced Stability
By keeping your center of gravity over your base of support, good posture significantly enhances stability and lessens the challenge to remain balanced. (23, 24) This reduces the chance of trips, slips, and falls, whether you're on a sidewalk or in a sports arena.
Improved Breathing
Good posture opens up the chest and improves lung capacity, leading to better oxygen intake. (22) Proper breathing supports balance by enhancing focus, stability, and endurance during physical activities, while also improving performance as a whole.
Neurological Benefits
Good posture promotes better improved brain performance and mood. (25, 26) Both of which may lead to higher alertness and performance in falling situations.
How to Assess Your Own Posture and Balance
Assessing your posture and balance can give you a starting point and track progress. Here’s a step-by-step guide to assessing your own posture:
Stand Sideways in a Mirror: Check if your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles align. Taking a picture then drawing a line from each point can give you an idea of how aligned your are.
Look for Shoulder Symmetry: Looking straight on in the mirror assess your shoulder heights. One shoulder shouldn't be higher than the other.
Check Your Head Position: Your head should not be too far forward or tilted in any direction.
Hip Alignment: Your hips should be level and lack any rotation or dropping.
NOTE: Humans are not entirely symmetrical! So small variations are ok, but anything distinctly different may be an area to work on.
Simple Balance Tests
Test your balance to get a sense of how stable you are:
Tandem Stance Balance Test: Stand with one foot in front of the other like you are standing on a tightrope, eyes open. Repeat with eyes closed.
Can you hold for at least 30 seconds on each side with eyes open and eyes closed?
Single-Leg Balance Test: Stand on one leg for as long as you can, eyes open. Repeat with eyes closed.
Can you hold for at least 30 seconds on each side with eyes open and eyes closed?
Tools for Assessment
If you want more detailed feedback, consider these options:
Apps: Apps like PostureScreen can help with posture analysis and make it easy at home.
Plum Lines: A simple string hung from the ceiling that can help visual body alignment.
Professional Assessment: A physical therapist can provide a detailed analysis of your posture and balance.
How to Improve Posture for Better Balance
Improving your posture is highly impactful for better balance, overall health, and fall prevention. Let’s break down some practical ways you can start improving your posture today.
Postural Awareness
The first step in improving your posture is awareness. Most of us have habits that lead to poor posture, often without realizing it. Here are some tips to help you become more aware:
Check Your Posture Daily: Make it a habit to do quick posture check-ins throughout the day. Notice if you’re slouching, if your head is forward, or if your shoulders are rounded.
Use Mirrors or Body Cues: A full-length mirror is your best friend for posture checks. Notice if your shoulders are even, if your hips are aligned, and if your spine is straight.
Habitual Postures: Start to pay attention to your “comfortable” positions throughout the day. Do you often lean on one leg or arm? Do you cross your legs a certain way all the time? If you notice any of these types of habits make a conscious effort to perform it in the opposite way to even out the forces on your body. For example, if you always sit and lean on the right side of the couch while watching TV, try to sit and lean on the left side for the next few weeks.
Strengthening Key Muscles
Strong muscles are the foundation of good posture. Focusing on core, back, and hip strength can go a long way. Try out these exercises for 3 rounds of 10 repetitions:
Core Strengthening:
Back Strengthening:
Superman Exercise: Lie face down, lift your arms and legs off the ground while keeping the core tight.
Rowing Movements: Use resistance bands or weights to perform rows (pulling your arms straight back and squeezing your shoulder blades), strengthening the upper back. This can be done seated or standing.
Hip and Glute Strengthening:
Clamshells: Lie on your side, bend knees, and lift the top knee while keeping feet together to target the glutes.
Hip Thrusts: With your shoulders supported on a bench and feet on the ground, raise and lower your hips while squeezing the glutes.
Mobility and Flexibility
Tight muscles can pull your body out of alignment, leading to poor posture. Regular stretching can make a big difference. Try out these stretches for 3 rounds of 30-60 seconds:
Stretch Hip Flexors: Kneel with one foot forward, lean forward gently, squeeze your glutes, and feel the stretch in the hip flexors (front of hip).
Hamstring Stretches: Sit or stand and gently reach for your toes while keeping your back and knees straight.
Combat Forward Head Posture:
Chin Tucks: Sit or stand straight, tuck your chin backwards as if trying to make a double chin. Hold for 5-10 seconds to work the neck muscles and promote a more upright cervical posture.
Wall Angels: Stand against a wall with arms at your sides, move arms up and down while maintaining contact with the wall as best as you can.
Exercise Programs for Posture
Movement practices are great for posture:
Yoga: Focuses on alignment, flexibility, and strength. Poses like "Mountain Pose" and "Warrior II" reinforce posture principles.
Pilates: Strengthens the core and back muscles, helping you maintain better posture effortlessly.
Traditional Weight Training: Learning to exercise with weights can help equalize muscle imbalances, enhance strength and stability, and bring more awareness to body signals.
Balance Programs: Working to improve your balance naturally helps improve posture as your body works to find its stability. Additionally, this may help reduce fear of falling and increase overall independence. Check out my Beginner to Intermediate Balance Program for a complete balance overhaul.
Simple Daily Habits
Integrating small changes into your daily life can lead to big improvements over time:
Variable daily postures: Ensure you are constantly changing your posture without sitting any one way for too long. If possible, make your default posture well aligned and neutral. For example, sit with your feet flat on the floor, knees at a 90-degree angle, and your lower back supported. Try to change your posture at least every 30 minutes.
Use a Standing Desk: Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day to prevent slouching and add to the variability of postures you assume throughout the day. This will have the bonus of helping maintain more strength in your lower body and core over the years.
Proper Walking Posture: Keep your head up, shoulders back slightly, and core engaged as you walk or jog. Think less about “standing up straight” and more about standing as tall as you can. Pretend someone is pulling a string at the top of your head that is making you taller.
Practical Tips for Maintaining Good Posture Long-Term
Maintaining good posture requires ongoing effort, but it doesn't have to be a chore. With the right habits and tools, you can make good posture a natural part of your life that you eventually don’t even think about.
Mindful Movement
Use everyday activities as opportunities to practice good posture:
Walking: Keep your head up, shoulders relaxed, and core slightly engaged. Again, think about being as tall as you can.
Lifting: Bend at the knees, not the waist, and engage your core slightly before lifting any object.
Household Chores: Practice proper posture when doing everyday activities like washing dishes, vacuuming, or gardening.
Don’t beat yourself up for being slouched: Posture changes constantly throughout the day depending on our activity, energy, pain, clothing, environment and so on. Think about making your neutral posture good and upright but allow the natural changes throughout the day. Even good posture can lead to problems if held indefinitely.
Building Habits
If improving your posture is a top priority, create reminders to keep posture top-of-mind:
Set Alarms: Use your phone to set hourly reminders to check your posture.
Posture Prompts: Place sticky notes in visible locations like your computer monitor with simple reminders like "Sit tall!"
Mini Stretch Breaks: Take a few minutes every hour to stretch and reset your posture.
Remember that you are trying to break an old postural habit and create a new one. You won’t need these techniques forever, but rather only in the beginning as you begin to retrain yourself.
Use of Tools
Certain tools can support you in maintaining good posture:
Ergonomic Chairs: Invest in a chair that supports the natural curve of your spine.
Standing Desks: Alternate between sitting and standing to reduce slouching.
Lumbar Supports: Use a lumbar roll or cushion to support your lower back when sitting.
Posture Shirts: Investing in a posture shirt, which stretches your shoulders back with low level tension, can help you create new posture habits early on.
Final Thoughts: Stand Tall and Don’t Fall
Look, I am a big proponent of standing any way that feels good for you. “Bad” posture is not really that bad, and “good” posture is really not that good. The key is to be fluid, but have your habitual posture be fairly aligned and centered. The issues arise when a “bad” posture becomes your norm. Being hunched, jutting your neck out, or even aggressively pulling your shoulders back constantly all have negative effects down the line if done for years on end. One of which is an altered center of gravity over your base of support.
The truth is posture is important for balance, especially at the extreme ends. Good posture is foundational to your overall health, balance, and well-being. It’s not just about standing up straight, it’s about aligning your body to function at its best. Whether you're aiming to reduce fall risk as you age, improve your athletic performance, or simply feel better in your daily life, posture plays a pivotal role that we sometimes don’t acknowledge.
Start by making small changes today by paying attention to your body, integrating strengthening exercises, and making mindful movement a habit. Remember, your journey to better posture is a long-term investment in your health. If you are ready to improve your posture and balance, be sure to check out my SoF Balance Program. Your 80 year-old self will thank you.
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