how to not give a fuckimprove your posture
stand up right now. without adjusting anything, notice your shoulders. are they rolled forward? is your head jutting ahead of your chest? is your lower back either flat or excessively curved?
if you're like most people who sit for a living, the answer to at least two of those questions is yes. and it's slowly destroying your body.
what good posture actually looks like
forget "stand up straight" — that's vague advice that usually leads to an exaggerated military posture that's just as bad. proper posture involves:
- two gentle c-curves in the spine — one at the base of the neck (cervical) and one at the lower back (lumbar). not straight. not flat. curved.
- shoulders behind the chest, not pulled back aggressively but gently retracted so your chest is open.
- head stacked directly over the shoulders, not pushed forward. imagine a string pulling the crown of your head toward the ceiling.
- pelvis in neutral — not tilted forward (duck butt) or tucked under (flat back).
why it matters beyond aesthetics
posture isn't cosmetic. it's functional. forward head posture adds up to 30 extra pounds of force on your cervical spine. rounded shoulders compress your chest cavity, reducing lung capacity. anterior pelvic tilt puts chronic strain on your lower back.
but here's the part that surprises people: posture affects mood. amy cuddy's research (controversial but directionally correct) showed that expansive postures increase testosterone and decrease cortisol. the way you hold your body literally changes your brain chemistry.
you've noticed this intuitively. depressed people slump. confident people stand tall. the relationship goes both directions.
the fix
you can't think your way to better posture. you need to retrain the muscles that have adapted to your bad positions.
strengthen: upper back muscles (rows, face pulls, band pull-aparts), core stabilizers (planks, dead bugs), and glutes.
stretch: chest muscles, hip flexors, and neck flexors.
check in: set a timer for every 30 minutes during the work day. when it goes off, reset your posture. over weeks, the correct position becomes your default.
the body adapts to whatever position you put it in most often. right now, it's adapted to your desk and your phone. give it something better to adapt to.
if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.