04 / Posture guide
Posture Exercises: 4 Types of Posture and the Fix for Each
There are four common types of posture. Stand side-on, drop an imaginary plumb line from your ear, and you can see which one is yours. Each has one exercise to start with.
Save this guide to PinterestThe 4 types of posture
- 01
Aligned
From the side, your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle sit close to one vertical line. Your lower back has a gentle curve and your chest is open without pushing forward. This is the target, and your job is to keep it when you move.
TipFix: a daily ten-minute routine to keep it easy. See posture exercises.
- 02
Forward head
Your ear sits in front of your shoulder, usually from screens and phones. The rest of the body may be fairly straight. Every bit your head moves forward makes the back of your neck work harder to hold it.
TipFix: chin nods. Glide your chin straight back, hold for three seconds, ten times.
- 03
Swayback
Your hips drift forward past your ankles and your upper body leans back to balance. The knees often lock. It can look like good posture at first because the chest is lifted, but the plumb line passes behind the hip.
TipFix: glute bridges, two sets of twelve, and unlock your knees when you stand.
- 04
Slouched
Your upper back rounds, your shoulders roll in and your head follows them forward. The lower back is often flat. It is the classic sitting-at-a-desk posture, carried into standing.
TipFix: wall angels, two sets of eight, slowly, with your back against a wall.
How to check your posture type
Stand side-on to a mirror, or ask someone to take a photo of you from the side, from head to feet. Stand the way you normally stand, not your best posture. Now imagine a plumb line (a string with a weight on the end) hanging from just in front of your ear down to the floor.
In an aligned posture, the line passes through:
- the ear,
- the middle of the shoulder,
- the hip joint,
- just in front of the middle of the knee,
- just in front of the ankle bone.
Wherever your body drifts off the line shows your type. Head in front: forward head. Hips in front: swayback. Shoulders and upper back curved in front: slouched. Many people are a mix; pick the one that stands out most. Not sure? Take the posture type quiz.
Why posture type matters for your walk
Your standing posture travels with you when you walk. A forward head drops your gaze. A swayback pushes your hips forward and makes you lean back. A slouch pins your arms. That is why the Défilé alignment score looks at your posture while you move, not only when you stand.
Build the habit
One exercise, five minutes a day, for two weeks. Then take a new side photo in the same spot and compare. For a complete routine that covers all four types, see posture exercises: a daily routine. For what aligned looks like in detail, read the correct posture diagram.
Questions
Can you have more than one type of posture?
Yes, it is common. For example, slouched posture often comes with a forward head. Start with whichever is most obvious in your side photo.
Is a posture chart accurate for everyone?
It is a reference, not a diagnosis. Bodies vary, and small differences from the plumb line are normal. Use it to spot big patterns.
Common mistakes
- Checking your posture only when standing still. Check it while walking too.
- Pulling your shoulders back hard. It arches the lower back and creates a swayback.
- Doing all four fixes at once. Start with the one for your type.
- Judging from the front. Posture types are easiest to see from the side.
Not medical advice. If you have pain, numbness or an injury, see a physiotherapist before you start.
Défilé · Alignment score
Which type are you really? Film a side-view walk and see your alignment score.
Film a walk and Défilé scores it out of 100, shows you the one thing holding it back and gives you a short drill to fix it. Your video never leaves your phone.
On Android? Défilé is coming soon to Google Play.
