Ep 173: Is Posture a Thing?

Barefoot Expo May 16-17 2025

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In recent years there has been significant backlash against the idea that posture is related to good health. Join biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram for a philosophical, historical and biological journey into the controversies around posture. 

Katy and Jeannette discuss whether posture is really a thing; is ‘good’ posture important or does your body work just fine regardless of how you hold it? Have we simply inherited postural ideals that are remnants of cultural, social and political baggage? 

Katy and Jeannette tease this out by discussing definitions of posture, the history of postural ideals and the difficulty in relating pain to posture. They turn to extreme examples of posture and Katy’s work in alignment to offer a more nuanced perspective on posture and physical experience in terms of load to tissues over time. 

Books & Articles Mentioned
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn 

The Rise and Fall of American Posture by David Yosifon & Peter N. Stearns
My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman

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