This month, we discuss Posture and its relevance to older adults.

Posture refers to how a person holds their body when standing or sitting, though it can also relate to a person’s general approach or attitude about something.

Read on to discover new research insights about Posture and to learn strategies you can use to practice better posture as you age.

1. Changing the Posture Narrative

Posture is a frequently discussed topic among health and fitness professionals. Unfortunately, there are a number of misguided beliefs surrounding pain’s relation to posture; namely that back or neck pain is caused by “incorrect” posture while sitting, standing, or bending.

This article debunks these posture-related myths and delivers the underlying truth – that our bodies are fit and resilient enough to handle a multitude of different postures and movements.

Authors list 7 key points to change the narrative around posture and to provide people with new language and helpful insights to counter the maladaptive beliefs we have heard from non-evidence-based sources. Keep these points in mind as you navigate the conflicting narratives about posture.

“There is no single “correct” posture.”
“Differences in postures are a fact of life.”
“Posture reﬂects beliefs and mood.”
“It is safe to adopt more comfortable postures.”
“The spine is robust and can be trusted.”
“Sitting is not dangerous.”
“One size does not fit all.”

2. Exercise to Counteract Age-Related Postural Changes

Does posture change with age?

The short answer is yes, though these changes are NOT inevitable.

In other words, we have the ability to affect our posture long into our adult years.

This article measured changes in thoracic kyphosis (or forward rounding of the mid back), in response to group exercise and postural training.

Hyperkyphosis (excessive thoracic kyphosis) is common among 40% of older adults and tends to progress with age. If hyperkyphosis reaches a certain point, it is associated with reduced quality of life, impaired function, falls, and fracture risk.

Authors found that, after a ~3-year follow up after the 3-month kyphosis exercise intervention, kyphosis did not progress as expected with age.

There are long-term improvements that we can expect after a consistent exercise-based posture program. This month, our classes are geared toward posture-specific mobility and strength in relevant areas such as the thoracic spine.

3. Posture & Emotional State

Body posture can reflect our internal emotional state. Don't believe us? Take a moment to think about how you hold your body while experiencing different moods.

😀 In a more positive mood, we may stand taller, with our head, chin, and chest elevated, with arms open or away from the body.
🙁 In a more negative mood, we may hang our heads, round our shoulders, and pull our arms or legs closer to our bodies.

This article explores the specific effect of sitting posture (slouched vs. upright) on the recall of memories that are positive (empowerment, optimism, etc.) or negative (hopelessness, powerlessness, defeat).

They find that postural changes can affect our memory recall. Simply sitting in a more upright position led to greater recollection of positive memories. Authors recommend using postural strategies to “increase positive affect and decrease depression.”

While emotional health is far more complex, it is interesting to see motion (in the form of postural changes) driving emotion.

4. Posture & Pain

While pain is complex and multifactorial, sometimes pain can be related to prolonged positioning in certain postures. Headaches, neck / shoulder aches, or backaches can be signals from the body that it’s time to change position.

Did you know that knowledge and education about appropriate posture can reduce the frequency and intensity of your pain?

It’s true – this study examined the effects of an educational and exercise program to reduce head, neck, and shoulder pain. Here’s what the programs entailed:

🌬️ Relaxation exercises - specifically focusing on letting the jaw drop for 10-15 mins and applying warm pads to cheeks and shoulders
🧍 Postural exercises - including retraction exercises against the wall and visual cues on the wall to remind participants about sitting in good posture
📚 Education - about appropriate postures in various positions

They found a >50% reduction in the frequency of headaches and a significant reduction in days with head, neck, or shoulder pain as compared to the control group 👏

5. Power Posing & Postural Feedback Effects

Body language and other forms of nonverbal communication are key to how humans (and other species of primates, birds, and more) interact with each other. Research has also pointed to the fact that body language, in addition to changing how others may see us, can also affect how we see ourselves.

In her popular 2012 TED Talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy discusses how "power posing" can increase feelings of confidence and decrease feelings of imposter syndrome or powerlessness.

The underlying mechanism for these changes is believed to occur through the hormones testosterone (which she labels “the dominance hormone”) and cortisol (“the stress hormone”). Adopting a “high power” pose for two minutes was associated with increased testosterone and decreased cortisol, while the opposite was true for “low power” poses.

While this research in 2010 has since been heavily questioned by the social psychology community, this “postural feedback effect” has been replicated across a handful of different studies and remains an important link between our body and mind.

What matters to us and our community is that postural awareness can help individuals grow more attuned to the body and the fact that we are always moving. “Our best posture is our next posture” is a helpful mantra as we remember that there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” posture.

Works Cited:

Slater D, Korakakis V, O'Sullivan P, Nolan D, O'Sullivan K. "Sit Up Straight": Time to Re-evaluate. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2019 Aug;49(8):562-564. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2019.0610. PMID: 31366294.
Katzman, Wendy B. PT, DPTSc1; Parimi, Neeta MS2; Gladin, Amy PT, DPT3; Wong, Shirley BS1; Lane, Nancy E. MD4. Long-Term Efficacy of Treatment Effects After a Kyphosis Exercise and Posture Training Intervention in Older Community-Dwelling Adults: A Cohort Study. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy: July/September 2021 - Volume 44 - Issue 3 - p 127-138 doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000262
Erik Peper, I-Mei Lin, Richard Harvey, Jacob Perez; How Posture Affects Memory Recall and Mood. Biofeedback 1 April 2017; 45 (2): 36–41. doi: https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-45.2.01
Carney DR, Cuddy AJ, Yap AJ. Power posing: brief nonverbal displays affect neuroendocrine levels and risk tolerance. Psychol Sci. 2010 Oct;21(10):1363-8. doi: 10.1177/0956797610383437. Epub 2010 Sep 20. PMID: 20855902.
https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are/

Posture