Why Your Next Posture Is Your Best Posture
A physical therapist’s perspective on posture, movement, and muscle balance
By Phil Rolfe, PT
When we talk about posture, there's a common myth that it’s all about strengthening certain muscles to achieve a perfect, static position. But from my perspective as a physical therapist, posture isn't really about locking into one ideal stance.
Instead, it’s about balance, endurance, and most importantly—movement.
You Can’t Strengthen a Posture
One of the most frequent questions I get from patients is:
“Can you give me exercises to strengthen my posture?”
It’s a fair question—but it’s based on a misunderstanding.
You can’t strengthen a posture. Posture isn’t a muscle. And the muscles that help support posture—called postural stabilizers—aren’t the big, bulky ones we associate with powerlifting or gym workouts.
These are often endurance-based muscles—think of them as the deep stabilizers that quietly hold you upright over time. They’re not designed to produce forceful movements, and they’re definitely not meant to hold your body in one fixed position all day.
Power Muscles Aren’t Built for Posture
On the flip side, the prime movers of your body—like the biceps of your arm or the rhomboids of your upper back—are designed for mobility, not endurance. They’re built to move joints, not to act like scaffolding.
Trying to use them to “hold yourself upright” (for example, by squeezing your shoulder blades together all day) can backfire. These muscles can become irritated, develop fibrotic tissue, and create painful compensation patterns over time.
Holding yourself in a rigid posture is like using racecar tires on a bulldozer—it’s the wrong tool for the job.
If It Feels Hard, There Might Be a Reason
If you feel like you're working extremely hard just to hold your posture, that’s a signal worth listening to.
It might not be about strength at all.
You may benefit from a physical therapy evaluation to explore why posture feels difficult for you. It could be that:
Certain muscles are not at their optimal length to support your frame.
Some joints lack the mobility needed to allow a tall or upright position.
For example, stiffness in your thoracic spine (mid-back) can make it feel nearly impossible to achieve and maintain a lengthened posture, no matter how strong you are.
Working harder is not always the answer—moving smarter is.
Train Proprioception, Not Just Muscles
To truly “improve posture,” you need to train more than muscle—you need to train your awareness.
Posture relies heavily on something called proprioception—your body’s ability to sense where it is in space. If you want to feel more aligned, move with more ease, and stay upright longer, you need to retrain your nervous system, not just your muscles.
This includes:
Gentle movement variability
Occasional postural resets
Mindful cues like “feel your tall”
Exercises that blend balance, control, and breath
Improving posture is less about muscling your way upright and more about cultivating a well-tuned internal GPS.
Posture Is Dynamic, Not Static
Posture is not a fixed position you hold. It’s a rhythm of micro-adjustments, natural shifts, and subtle recalibrations your body makes throughout the day. Even the best postural stabilizers need movement to stay healthy and effective.
That’s why I say to my patients:
Your next posture is your best posture.
Even professional dancers—who train for uprightness and symmetry—don’t hold “perfect posture” 100% of the time. They move fluidly, intuitively, and with awareness.
A Better Cue: “Feel Your Tall”
One cue I love is:
“Feel your tall.”
This isn’t about locking into a tall position. It’s about gently lengthening the spine, imagining space between the vertebrae, and feeling a sense of lift from within—like a marionette being lightly pulled upward from the crown of the head.
Even a brief moment of this awareness—when sitting, walking, or transitioning between activities—can be a powerful reset for your nervous system.
Use it like a soft reminder, not a strict command.
Final Takeaways
You can’t strengthen posture like a muscle
Power muscles like biceps and rhomboids aren’t meant to hold static positions
If posture feels difficult, there may be mobility or length restrictions—get evaluated
Proprioception must be trained, not just strength
Posture is dynamic, not static
Use gentle cues like “feel your tall”
And always remember:
Your next posture is your best posture