How To Align & Stabilize Your Posture Hint – Learn About Your Body
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
Luther has over 27 years of experience in Educating and treating the public, elite athletes, & pain management clients for chronic musculoskeletal and soft tissue alignment and postural issues.
Most humans understand the general concept of the need for proper posture to maintain good health and well-being. However, many people find it difficult to sustain maintenance of good posture even after education, coaching, or training, either by self or through professional movement coaching.
My reasoning for saying this is from years of observations of clients, realizing that very few people understand their anatomy and physiology (in other words, how we humans are organized, function, and move). I mentioned in a previous article, “Posture Awareness is Your New Vital Sign”, that education and coaching in postural awareness should begin in early childhood so skill sets can be learned and postural issues identified and addressed earlier before posture creates movement, performance, and/or health issues.
In this article, I will outline a foundation for you to begin learning how you are constructed, an exploration of human development, fascial-motor integrity, and the path to lifelong postural health, the stages of human development that indicate when movement and posture problems can develop, and factors to consider in addressing, correcting, and maintaining good posture. In a future article, I will outline the actual myofasical planes you need to learn in order to balance and maintain good posture.
The movement blueprint: Fascia, muscles, and posture from womb to puberty
1. From cell to child: The marvel of human design
Human life begins with a single fertilized egg, zygote formed by the union of sperm and egg. Through mitotic divisions, the zygote becomes a blastocyst, then an embryo. By the third week, the mesoderm forms, giving rise to bones, muscles, and connective tissues like fascia. By the end of the embryonic stage (week 8), the basic layout of the musculoskeletal system is in place.
Fascial and musculoskeletal developmental milestones
In utero (8-40 weeks): Myogenesis and osteogenesis begin, with fascia acting as the first organizational matrix for tissue development.
Infancy (0-2 years): Rapid growth of axial musculature and spinal curves. Babies gain head control, sit, crawl, and walk each milestone depending on coordinated fascial-muscular responses.
Early childhood (2-7 years): Dynamic musculoskeletal remodeling occurs as children run, climb, and fine-tune motor patterns. The fascial system elongates and strengthens in response to movement and gravity.
Late childhood to puberty (8-13 years): Hormonal changes accelerate bone growth. Fascia adapts to new loads and proportions, often determining postural tendencies that persist into adulthood.
2. Fascia: The forgotten framework of posture
Fascia is a three-dimensional web of connective tissue that envelops muscles, bones, and organs. Far from being inert packing material, fascia is richly innervated, responsive to tension, and deeply involved in proprioception and motor coordination (Schleip et al., 2012).
Why fascia and muscle work together for good posture
Structural alignment: Fascia connects and supports every part of the body, balancing mechanical forces.
Neuromuscular coordination: It provides sensory feedback critical for postural reflexes.
Elastic storage and release: Like a spring, fascial tissues store and return energy, reducing fatigue and strain during movement.
A well-functioning fascial-musculoskeletal system enables upright posture, dynamic stability, and efficient movement patterns.
3. When the system falters: What disrupts healthy development?
Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors can impair fascial neuromuscular development, often with postural consequences:
Intrinsic factors: (In utero (8-40 weeks)
Congenital disorders: Conditions like muscular dystrophy or spina bifida affect muscle tone and fascial development.
Genetic collagen disorders: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome leads to hypermobility due to overly elastic fascia.
Neurological conditions: Cerebral palsy and other motor deficits alter muscle tone and fascial load.
Extrinsic and environmental factors
(Infancy (0-2 years) – (Early Childhood (2-7 years) – (Late Childhood to Puberty (8-13 years) – Post Puberty – Adult
Poor postural habits: Extended sitting, screen use, or improper school furniture.
Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of varied movement leads to fascial stiffness and muscular imbalance.
Improper footwear and Carrying Loads: Backpacks, shoes without arch support, or uneven load distribution influence spinal alignment.
Psychosocial stress: Chronic tension often manifests in muscle guarding, altering fascial tone.
Inadequate parenting and childcare practices: Overuse of baby seats, walkers, or insufficient tummy time delays key milestones.
4. Restoring the design: Posture-focused Interventions and preventive strategies
Proactive awareness and corrective strategies can restore postural balance and enhance long-term functional health.
Assessment and identification
Postural screenings: Look for asymmetries, forward head, pelvic tilt, and uneven shoulders.
Fascial glide tests: Evaluate restrictions or adhesions using hands-on fascial manipulation.
Functional movement screens (FMS): These assessments address imbalances in joint stability, mobility, and muscular coordination.
Therapeutic approaches
Anatomical & Physiological interventions:
Myofascial release & manual therapy: Releases fascial restrictions and improves tissue hydration.
Corrective exercise programs: Address muscular imbalances using resistance, balance, and mobility training.
Postural re-education: Teaches awareness of alignment through Pilates, yoga, or the Alexander Technique.
Lifestyle & environmental strategies
Ergonomics: Design child-friendly environments\ddesks, shoes, and backpacks matter.
Movement diversity: Encourage climbing, crawling, hanging, and rolling to challenge fascial planes.
Mindful parenting: Promote floor play, discourage early device dependency, and ensure emotional security.
Social and athletic considerations
Early sport specialization risks: Encourage multi-sport participation to avoid repetitive strain.
Rest and recovery: Emphasize sleep, hydration, and downtime to support fascial elasticity.
Conclusion: Designing for postural longevity
Posture is a living, adaptive expression of how our fascial and musculoskeletal systems respond to development, environment, and habit. Understanding and supporting this system from birth to puberty, requires collaboration among parents, educators, clinicians, and society. With timely assessments and holistic interventions, we can preserve the design we were born with and stand tall through life.
However, in order to accomplish this, there is more you need to learn, which is: “what are the myofasical planes, musculoskeletal lines of tension, and how do you work with them to correct and maintain good posture”. This will be the subject of my next article. Please contact me below for questions or requests for posture and alignment services.
Luther Lockard, Posture & Movement Coach, LMT
Corporate Massage Therapies-Advanced Treatment Center
5000 Sagemore Drive, Suite 200
Marlton, NJ 08053
posturewellness.net 609-257-8595
Read more from Luther Lockard
Luther Lockard, Posture & Movement Coach, LMT
Luther Lockard is a professional bodyworker with 27 years of experience, which includes the services of Posture & Alignment Coaching, Flexibility Training, Personal Training, Medical Massage, Reflexology, Craniosacral, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and other energy-based modalities. Luther has over 2000 hours of professional training in bodywork, which includes: Brain-Based & Corrective Exercise Movement Coaching.
References:
Schleip, R., Findley, T. W., Chaitow, L., & Huijing, P. A. (2012). Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Bordoni, B., & Lagana, M. M. (2019). The fascial system and exercise intolerance in postural disorders. Cureus, 11(5), e4624.
Myers, T. (2020). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists (4th ed.). Elsevier.
Kjaer, M., et al. (2009). Textbook of Sports Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Aspects of Sports Injury and Physical Activity. Wiley-Blackwell.
World Health Organization. (2023). Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep for Children Under 5 Years of Age.
