What modern movement science actually says
By Dee O'Mahony MSc
Founder, Movement Reset Studio, Bristol
Most of us have been told to sit up straight.
Shoulders back.
Chest lifted.
Head upright.
Don't slouch.
For generations, posture has been presented as something we should get right — an ideal arrangement of the head, spine, shoulders and pelvis that protects us from pain and keeps the body functioning properly.
But the science of posture has changed.
Researchers are increasingly questioning whether there is one ideal posture at all. More recent research has even highlighted considerable inconsistency in how posture itself is defined within the scientific literature (Strickland et al., 2026).
At the same time, research has challenged the assumption that deviations from an ideal alignment automatically lead to pain.
So does good posture actually matter?
I think it does.
But perhaps not for the reasons we've traditionally been taught.
Why This Matters
Posture is something we all have.
Whether we're sitting at a desk, standing in a queue, carrying shopping, looking at our phones or walking down the road, our bodies are constantly organising themselves in relation to gravity and the task we're performing.
And modern life asks us to spend a lot of time in relatively few positions.
We sit at computers.
We drive.
We look down at screens.
We work with our hands in front of us.
When discomfort develops, it's easy to look in the mirror and blame what we see.
Rounded shoulders.
A forward head.
An arched lower back.
An uneven pelvis.
But human movement is rarely that simple.
The way somebody looks when standing still doesn't necessarily tell us how well their body functions.
That's why I think we need to reconsider what we mean by good posture.
What People Commonly Believe
For much of the twentieth century, posture was assessed against an anatomical ideal.
Head balanced over shoulders.
Shoulders over pelvis.
Pelvis over knees.
Knees over ankles.
A plumb line could theoretically be dropped through the body and deviations from this alignment identified and corrected.
The assumption was understandable.
If the skeleton is better aligned, forces should be distributed more efficiently and muscles shouldn't have to work unnecessarily hard.
But there was a problem.
Real human bodies didn't always conform to the model.
And people who deviated from it weren't necessarily in pain.
Conversely, people who appeared beautifully aligned sometimes were.
This led researchers to begin questioning something fundamental:
Where did our idea of perfect posture actually come from?
What the Research Says
There May Be No Such Thing as a Perfect Posture
This is perhaps one of the most interesting developments in posture research.
In 2024, researcher Martin Barra-López published a scoping review examining the origins of the widely used “standard posture” described in Kendall's influential work on muscle testing and function.
The review concluded that natural human standing posture and the actual line of gravity do not consistently correspond with this traditional ideal (Barra-López, 2024).
That's important.
Because human beings aren't manufactured to identical specifications.
Our bones differ.
Our proportions differ.
Our spinal curves differ.
Our pelvises differ.
Our movement histories differ.
And our posture changes throughout life.
A further scoping review published in 2026 examined how posture itself is defined within the scientific literature.
The researchers found multiple different definitions and considerable variation in the concepts and terminology being used (Strickland et al., 2026).
So perhaps our starting point needs to change.
Rather than asking:
“Does my body match the ideal posture?”
we might ask:
“Does my body have the capacity to meet the demands I place upon it?”
Does Poor Posture Cause Pain?
This is where the evidence becomes particularly interesting.
For decades, particular spinal postures have been associated with back pain.
But association isn't the same thing as causation.
A major review published in the Journal of Biomechanics examined systematic reviews investigating spinal posture, physical exposures and low-back pain.
The authors found conflicting results.
Some reviews identified associations.
Others didn't.
Most importantly, they concluded that there was no consensus regarding a causal relationship between particular spinal postures or physical exposures and low-back pain (Swain et al., 2020).
That doesn't mean posture can never contribute to someone's symptoms.
It means we can't simply look at somebody who slouches and conclude:
That's why your back hurts.
Pain is far more complex.
Previous injury matters.
Training and physical load matter.
Sleep matters.
Stress matters.
Health matters.
Movement matters.
Our expectations and beliefs about pain can matter too.
Posture may be one piece of that puzzle.
But it isn't the whole picture.
Static Posture and Postural Control Are Not the Same Thing
Imagine two people standing side by side.
One appears perfectly upright.
The other has slightly rounded shoulders and a naturally more relaxed stance.
From a photograph, we might decide that the first person has “better posture.”
But now ask them both to stand on one leg.
Reach overhead.
Rotate.
Walk.
Carry something.
Recover when they lose their balance.
Suddenly the photograph tells us very little.
Postural control is a complex sensory-motor process.
One influential systems framework describes postural control as involving multiple interacting components, including static and dynamic stability, anticipatory and reactive control, sensory integration and the underlying motor system (Sibley et al., 2015).
Our nervous system has to integrate information from our eyes, vestibular system and sensory receptors throughout the body while continually adjusting muscular activity to keep us balanced.
So:
Static posture describes where your body is at one moment.
Postural control describes your ability to organise and adapt your body as circumstances change.
For me, the second tells us considerably more about movement.
Posture and Breathing
Our position can also influence the mechanics of breathing.
A systematic review by Katz and colleagues examined 43 studies comparing pulmonary function in different body positions.
Across the studies, pulmonary-function measures differed according to body position, although the direction and size of those differences varied between populations and outcomes.
In many populations, some measures were higher in more upright positions, while particular clinical groups responded differently (Katz et al., 2018).
That's an important nuance.
It doesn't mean everyone needs to sit bolt upright in order to breathe properly.
It means body position changes the mechanical environment in which breathing occurs.
Our diaphragm doesn't work in isolation.
Breathing involves the diaphragm, rib cage, abdominal wall and accessory respiratory muscles interacting with the position of the trunk.
For me, that's another reason posture is more interesting as a dynamic physiological process than as a photograph of “correct alignment.”
Posture, Breathing and the Autonomic Nervous System
Changing body position doesn't only change mechanical demands.
It also changes physiological demands.
The autonomic nervous system helps regulate processes we don't consciously control, including heart rate and blood pressure.
One part of this system — the parasympathetic nervous system — is strongly influenced by the vagus nerve.
This has become an enormously popular subject in the wellness world.
Unfortunately, the science is sometimes simplified into claims that poor posture “compresses” or “traps” the vagus nerve, or that correcting posture can somehow “reset” the nervous system.
The evidence doesn't currently justify those claims.
There is, however, intriguing research connecting posture with autonomic measures.
A 2020 cross-sectional study compared 80 adults with forward-head posture with 80 age-, sex- and BMI-matched controls and found differences in cervical sensorimotor control and skin sympathetic responses (Moustafa et al., 2020).
But that distinction matters:
Because the study was cross-sectional, it can identify an association.
It cannot tell us that forward-head posture caused those differences.
There is considerably stronger evidence for the relationship between breathing and cardiac autonomic regulation.
A large systematic review and meta-analysis by Laborde and colleagues examined voluntary slow breathing and found increases in vagally mediated heart-rate variability during slow breathing, immediately afterwards and following repeated practice (Laborde et al., 2022).
So the relationship between posture, breathing and the autonomic nervous system is real — but considerably more sophisticated than the idea that simply sitting straighter “activates your vagus nerve.”
For me, that's what makes the science interesting.
Our bodies aren't collections of separate systems.
Breathing, movement, balance, cardiovascular regulation and muscular activity are constantly interacting.
What About Movement Variability?
There's another concept that has become increasingly discussed in movement science:
Variability.
No two steps are completely identical.
No two squats are identical.
Even when you believe you're sitting still, your body is continually making tiny adjustments.
Variability allows our movement system to respond to different tasks, environments and loads.
But we need to be careful here too.
It's tempting to turn this into another simple rule:
More variability = better movement.
The evidence doesn't support such a straightforward conclusion.
A 2023 systematic review examined spinal movement variability in people with chronic non-specific low-back pain.
The researchers found evidence of altered motor adaptability across repetitive tasks, but whether variability was increased or decreased depended on the movement being studied.
Importantly, the overall certainty of the evidence was rated very low (Alsubaie et al., 2023).
So I wouldn't say that variability automatically protects us from pain.
What I take from the research is something subtler.
Healthy movement requires options.
Our bodies need to be capable of adjusting movement according to the task in front of us.
What This Means in Practice
If you're sitting at your desk reading this and have suddenly pulled your shoulders backwards, you can relax.
You don't need to spend the rest of your day monitoring your body.
Instead, notice it.
Change position.
Stand up.
Walk around.
Reach overhead.
Rotate.
Let your spine flex.
Let it extend.
Give your body different movement experiences.
A relaxed slouch isn't necessarily something to fear.
Nor is sitting upright inherently better if you're trying to maintain that position rigidly for hours.
And if one position repeatedly causes discomfort, don't automatically assume your body is damaged or badly aligned.
It may be worth looking more broadly at your strength, mobility, movement habits, workload and overall physical capacity.
The aim isn't to become frightened of particular positions.
It's to have enough movement options that you don't have to depend on only one.
Perhaps the best posture isn't a particular posture at all.
Perhaps it's having the capacity to comfortably move into the next one.
How Pilates Fits
Pilates has long been associated with posture.
And interestingly, there is now systematic-review evidence suggesting that Pilates can modify some measurable aspects of posture.
A 2024 systematic review examined 13 controlled studies involving 783 participants.
The studies investigated outcomes including forward-head posture, spinal curvature, pelvic tilt and thoracic kyphosis.
Across the included studies, Pilates was associated with improvements in some measured postural outcomes, although other studies found little or no significant change (Li et al., 2024).
The studies also differed considerably in age, population, intervention and measurement method.
Only six of the 13 included studies were rated high quality or above according to the review's assessment, and the authors themselves concluded that further research is needed.
So I don't think the evidence supports promising that Pilates will “fix your posture.”
And personally, that's not how I want to use it.
The value of Pilates is that it gives us an environment in which to explore movement.
Slowly.
Under manageable load.
With feedback.
We can explore spinal flexion and extension.
Rotation.
Breathing.
Hip mobility.
Shoulder movement.
Balance.
Strength.
Coordination.
And control.
Rather than trying to teach your body one correct position, we're expanding the number of positions in which your body can feel strong and capable.
That's a very different goal.
Key Takeaways
There probably isn't one universally perfect posture.
Posture alone doesn't reliably explain why somebody develops back pain.
But that doesn't mean posture is irrelevant.
Body position changes mechanical and physiological demands, including aspects of breathing, muscular activity and balance.
Postural control is much more complex than visual alignment. It involves sensory information, muscular responses and continual adaptation.
Research into posture and autonomic regulation is interesting but still developing. There isn't good evidence that everyday slouching mechanically “traps” the vagus nerve or that simply sitting straighter resets it.
Movement variability is also more complicated than “more is better.”
And Pilates can change some measurable aspects of posture, although the quality and consistency of that evidence remain mixed.
Perhaps the most useful goal isn't perfect posture at all.
It's postural adaptability.
The Movement Reset Philosophy
When somebody comes into my studio, I don't want to put their body into a predetermined shape.
I want to understand how they move.
Where does movement come easily?
Where does it feel restricted?
What happens when they breathe?
Can they rotate?
Can they balance?
Can they move their spine?
Can they organise themselves differently when the task changes?
Because ultimately, our bodies weren't designed to maintain one perfect position.
They were designed to move through thousands of them.
To walk.
Run.
Reach.
Lift.
Work.
Play.
Travel.
Rest.
And adapt as our lives and bodies change.
So perhaps we've been asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking:
“Is my posture good?”
perhaps we should ask:
“Does my body have the freedom, strength and control to move through the life I want to live?”
At Movement Reset Studio, that's what I'm interested in developing.
Not perfect posture.
Better movement.
Want to Explore How Your Body Moves?
At Movement Reset Studio in Bristol, private Pilates sessions are individually designed around your movement, goals and experience.
Rather than trying to fit your body into one predetermined idea of “good” movement, we use the Pilates studio equipment to explore strength, mobility, balance and control in a way that works for you.
Book an introductory session at Movement Reset Studio.
References
Alsubaie, A. M., Mazaheri, M., Martinez-Valdes, E., & Falla, D. (2023). Is movement variability altered in people with chronic non-specific low back pain? A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0287029. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287029
Barra-López, M. E. (2024). The standard posture is a myth: A scoping review. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 56, jrm41899. https://doi.org/10.2340/jrm.v56.41899
Katz, S., Arish, N., Rokach, A., Zaltzman, Y., & Marcus, E.-L. (2018). The effect of body position on pulmonary function: A systematic review. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 18, 159. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-018-0723-4
Laborde, S., Allen, M. S., Borges, U., Dosseville, F., Hosang, T. J., Iskra, M., Mosley, E., Salvotti, C., Spolverato, L., Zammit, N., & Javelle, F. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 138, 104711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
Li, F., Dev, R. D. O., Soh, K. G., Wang, C., & Yuan, Y. (2024). Effects of Pilates on body posture: A systematic review. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 6(3), 100345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2024.100345
Moustafa, I. M., Youssef, A., Ahbouch, A., Tamim, M., & Harrison, D. E. (2020). Is forward head posture relevant to autonomic nervous system function and cervical sensorimotor control? Cross sectional study. Gait & Posture, 77, 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.01.004
Sibley, K. M., Beauchamp, M. K., Van Ooteghem, K., Straus, S. E., & Jaglal, S. B. (2015). Using the systems framework for postural control to analyze the components of balance evaluated in standardized balance measures: A scoping review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96(1), 122–132.e29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.021
Strickland, M., Pruitt, R., & James, D. (2026). The definition of posture: A scoping review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 47, 547–555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2026.04.016
Swain, C. T. V., Pan, F., Owen, P. J., Schmidt, H., & Belavy, D. L. (2020). No consensus on causality of spine postures or physical exposure and low back pain: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Journal of Biomechanics, 102, 109312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.08.006
