Stand up Straight: What Your Teen Doesn’t Know

I used to get so irritated when my mother told me to stand up straight. It was the 70’s and dressed in bell bottoms with hair parted down the middle, we thought we were so fashionable, never mind that our hair fell into our eyes when we slumped. Now, thirty years older, I have to admit my mom was right. Standing tall is healthy. Standing tall leaves space between ribs and internal organs so breathing can happen. Standing tall feels good because tall posture supports the weight of the skeleton so that the muscles can relax. Standing tall is great for necks and jaws, preventing more serious problems like clenching teeth and jutting chins. 

So, why do teens slump? Young children don’t slump, their posture is amazingly good. Maybe teens slump to distinguish themselves from their parent’s generation or to bond with peers by looking casual. Maybe it’s too much effort to stand up straight. Maybe slumping feels more protected, less exposed, as when girls slump to disguise that their breasts are developing. One winter, I noticed that three out of four of the girls on a local high school basketball team were slumping. They came running down the court to set up their play. When they took a shot it was obvious their rounded shoulders didn’t allow them freedom in their neck and arms to shoot accurately.  

One benefit of standing tall is the positive interpersonal connections it fosters. Standing tall is the easiest way to send a message to the mom or dad that the teen is listening. The bonus: less lecturing and more of a sense of bonding, a win-win all around. Standing tall is equally good for school performance and job acquisition. A teen will be taken seriously and respected for their efforts when they are standing up straight. In addition, it’s very likely that the boyfriend or girlfriend of that same teen will also see the standing tall behavior as positive.  

But, even juicier than impressing parents or teachers or boyfriends—standing tall looks good. Standing tall adds the final touch to make that new outfit look fantastic. Slumping detracts from being fashionable because it distorts the way clothing hangs on the body. Clothing was never designed to be worn while the chest is caved in or the back rounded. Clothing is designed with an eye for the drape, the fold, and the line of the upright human body.  

I gifted my niece a posture party for her 16th birthday party. Sadly, I got the idea because she and her five girlfriends all reported having back pain. I knew my niece had gone to a chiropractor to work out some kinks and though it helped, she continued to have pain and poor posture. After a fun time learning some ideas about how to move and stand, I ended the workshop by encouraging the girls, “Stand up straight and greet your life, and not because your momma said you should. Do it for you!”

Kim Cottrell, Feldenkrais practitioner and speech pathologist, has spent over 25 years teaching communication and presentation skills. She currently teaches Awareness Through Movement at Portland Yoga Arts and gives private lessons in her Hollywood office. www.kimcottrell.com.