In effect we have two posture states. Active and Passive. Active posture is when you are controlling your muscles actively to achieve a certain position. Over time the body can ‘learn’ the posture and it can be assumed very easily without much thought. Dancers for example learn a posture as do horse riders.

Passive posture is when the body naturally assumes a position of ease. A person’s standing posture or sitting posture is the one that the body naturally goes to. However because the human body has an amazing ability to adapt to its surroundings so our posture can adapt over time to lifestyle conditions we find ourselves in.

Athletes have different postures to hairdressers, builders or office workers.

It is this adaptability of posture based on our surroundings that can cause us problems. As we work at desks, in front of computers, typing, answering the phone for hours at a time our posture changes to adapt to these activities.