But if you're thinking of a marine at attention, shoulders back, gut sucked flat, knees locked and feet together, your thinking contains an error. For starters, relax. Tightening unnecessary muscles only makes tension habitual. You're there when your back is long, your body is ready for movement and that achy, cramped feeling has disappeared. It's easier to describe than accomplish.
Back pain is one of the most common maladies of modern life.
Good posture won't cure everything. But it can prompt improvements throughout the body. It's an expression of an underlying functional quality. Schapera and his wife, Vivien, are instructors of the Alexander Technique, a program aimed at correcting posture and maximizing physical function. They help people reverse years of misuse, which may be compressing the spine or squeezing organs, causing dysfunction and pain.