How many times have you been told, “You have bad posture”?

Honestly, it’s annoying—and often inaccurate. There is no single “perfect” posture. We all have different anatomy, different movement histories, and different demands on our bodies. Even ballerinas—often held up as the gold standard of posture—can become too rigid.

Here’s the truth: posture should be fluid.

Humans are built to move. We should be able to stand tall, twist to reach something, sit hunched over for a moment, and then move again. Our spines are mobile systems. Where we run into trouble isn’t posture itself—it’s lack of movement over time.

Think about it. How often do you sit at your desk and suddenly realize two or three hours have passed? You stand up and everything feels stiff. That knee that’s been bugging you on runs feels off. Your hips and lower back feel tight. Or maybe you’ve stood in a long line, shifting side to side, rolling your neck, bending forward just to get some relief. We’ve all been there.

Before blaming posture, let’s pause and look at what’s actually happening.

Neutral in an Un-neutral World

Our bodies like to return to neutral—but we live in a very un-neutral world.

We sit in office chairs. We scroll on our phones. We carry heavy loads. We wear restrictive shoes. And yes, we run—often after spending most of the day in flexed or slumped positions.

Over time, these positions create habits. And habits create neural wiring. The postures we spend the most time in become the positions our nervous system defaults to. Eventually, those patterns show up during harder efforts—tempo runs, long runs, races—when efficiency matters most.

When a runner can’t find neutral, movement starts to feel off. Over time, that inefficiency adds stress, and small injuries begin to creep in. Not because posture is “bad,” but because the body has lost options.

Why Posture Still Matters for Runners

Posture does have a place—especially when it comes to performance.

Runners care about running economy. We want to move efficiently, conserve energy, and reduce injury risk. Poor postural control costs energy. It also increases stress on joints and soft tissue.

Think of your body like a soda can. A perfectly intact can can support a surprising amount of weight. But add a small dent, and suddenly it collapses under the same load.

When you run, each step places roughly 2–3 times your body weight through your system—for thousands of steps. Marathoners and ultrarunners, that adds up fast. If the “can” is compromised, the joints of the spine, hips, knees, and ankles absorb more stress than they’re designed to handle.

Two things tend to happen:

1. Coordination decreases and movement gets sloppy

2. The cost of running goes up—you work harder for the same pace

The Core–Hip–Shoulder Connection

Our brains are wired to create stability centrally (the core) and movement distally (arms and legs). When timing or coordination breaks down, some muscles fire late, others work overtime, and posture becomes compromised.

The body then struggles to distribute load efficiently. Stress accumulates in predictable places—tendons, joints, and connective tissue—until tolerance is exceeded. That’s when we see tendinopathies and overuse injuries.

This is why doing endless lateral walks or monster walks isn’t always the answer. Strength matters—but without addressing the link between the core, hips, and shoulders, you’re treating symptoms, not the root cause.

A Physical Therapist’s Take on “Core Strength”

Welcome back to your neighborhood PT.

When most athletes say they need to “strengthen their core,” they immediately think of crunches. Unless you’re training for isolated muscle definition, that approach usually misses the mark.

Instead, think about control through motion.

• Can your hips move freely without arching your lower back?
• Can you raise your arms overhead without flaring your ribs?
• Can you maintain trunk control while your limbs move?

If you sit for hours with tight hip flexors and a tight anterior chest wall, everything is pulled forward. When someone tells you to “stand up straight,” your body often compensates by overextending the lower back. That compensation affects the ribs, breathing mechanics, and ultimately running efficiency.

Most runners don’t notice this—until pain shows up.

So What Do We Do?

We start by restoring motion, then controlling it.

A great place to begin is the mid-back (thoracic spine). For many people, this area is stiff.

Because it’s a joint limitation—not a muscle one—we can’t simply stretch it. Instead, we use tools like foam rollers and controlled movement to restore mobility.

Once motion improves, we reinforce it with strength and posterior chain activation.

The good news? This doesn’t take long.

Ten minutes a day can make a meaningful difference in how your body feels—and how efficiently you run.

Simple Postural Mobility Routines

Upper Body

• Cat–Cow × 20
• Open Book × 20
• Thoracic extension over foam roller × 20
• Overhead carry (light barbell or dumbbells)
• Band pull-aparts

Lower Body

• Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch — 1–2 min, repeat 3×
• Ankle rocks — 1–2 min, repeat 3×
• Calf stretch — 1–2 min, repeat 3×
• Foam roll calves — 1–2 min

Re-wiring Posture: Maintenance Matters

Once restrictions improve, posture needs to be re-trained, not forced.

Corrective exercises don’t need to be done forever—but they’re a great maintenance strategy, especially during heavy training blocks.

A few of my favorites:

• TRX or suspension rows
• TRX reach-outs (kneeling)
• Banded bird dogs

Talk to your coach or physical therapist. Chances are, they already have ideas to help you move better. A freer, more adaptable body leads to better running economy—and maybe even that next PR.

– Coach Alyssa Rodriguez, Boundless Run Coach