Posture and Physical Carriage

Carriage affects both comfort and the impression made upon entering a room; a habitual slouch suggests fatigue even when its owner feels perfectly alert.

Edwardian manners demanded attention to physical bearing in ordinary conduct: entering a room, sitting in a chair, standing while waiting for a cab. A gentleman was expected to look composed, alert, and in command of his own limbs. Your era has made an alarming peace with draping itself over furniture.

The guides of that period, published between 1910 and 1914, were admirably specific. They directed the reader to place his weight upon the balls of the feet, draw back the shoulders, and hold the chin level. Such instructions describe the appearance then preferred. They do not establish a single medically correct position, and forcing the body into them may produce discomfort of its own.

Those guides generally preferred exercise to external correction. There was a brief and unfortunate vogue for men’s corsetry, a habit which survives whenever a brace is sold as a substitute for treating the reason it was thought necessary. General strength and regular movement are more useful than holding one approved pose throughout the day.

The modern man sits for much of the day, often with the spine curved over a desk or the shoulders drawn forward towards a telephone. These positions have become common enough to make an upright carriage look unusually formal, although it should appear comfortable rather than remarkable.

There is no need to arrange every heel, shoulder blade, and vertebra against a wall. Stand in a way that permits easy breathing and movement, with the weight comfortably distributed. When sitting or working, change position before discomfort has become the only reason to move.

Carriage is partly a matter of appearance. Pain and function are different matters. Regular walking, sensible strength work, and varied positions usually serve the body better. Persistent pain, weakness, numbness, or loss of movement deserves professional assessment.

Further guidance

• Myth-busting about posture, core stability and lifting, Cambridge University Hospitals