We can influence our posture. We probably cannot make permanent structural changes to it. As you’re reading this, pay attention to how you are sitting or standing. On purpose, round your shoulders forward, stick your chin out, and arch your lower back. That’s one end of your available sitting/standing postural range. Now pull your shoulders back, straighten up, pull your chin in, and tuck your bum under. This is the other end of that range. Within these ranges, the position you attain and maintain is largely down to your own conscious decision and willingness to do so.

Exercise is not going to make permanent changes to our skeletal structure (spinal curves). Exercise can, however, allow us to achieve a position within our available range and hold it there more easily and for longer. Strength training can be particularly helpful in this instance.

One recent study looked at the effect of a stretching protocol of the hip flexors on anterior pelvic tilt (forward tilted pelvis) and lumbar lordosis (swayback). There was no change in lordosis angle and the average reduction in pelvic tilt was 1.2 degrees. In other words, negligible. Studies assessing thoracic spine curvature in individuals with significant kyphosis (rounding of the mid/upper back) due to osteoporosis have thrown up conflicting results. Some studies demonstrate some level of change, in others no change was seen. Where change was demonstrated, strengthening of the mid / upper spinal musculature seemed to result in subjects being able to hold themselves in a more upright posture.

Any exercise interventions aimed at influencing posture must be applied regularly, consistently, and over time. Once the exercise intervention ceases, posture will revert back to its default position and be reflective of the activities we undertake the most and how we most often hold ourselves.