One of the reasons that people come to me for Alexander lessons is following advice from their physiotherapist, GP or other healthcare provider that the problems they are experiencing are probably posture-related. The meaning and scope of ‘posture-related problems’, and indeed ‘posture’ can be quite wide-ranging. Posture-related problems can include back, neck or shoulder pain, as well as headaches, and issues with breathing or digestion [1].

As Alexander teachers we are interested in our inherent capacity to stand, sit and move with minimal effort and a light, springy posture. Think of a typical toddler effortlessly standing, sitting and moving with an expansive, upright stance. Then contrast this with many adults slumped over their desks, or trying really hard to ‘sit up straight’. Whatever may have happened in the intervening years to bring about this change, be reassured that we all still have some of that inherent capacity for ease.

Some Alexander teachers tend to steer away from the term ‘posture’ because it can conjure up ideas of a fixed, sometimes rigid, position. We may talk more about our ‘postural support’ instead but it’s not just about terminology – unfortunately there is very little understanding in our culture of how we actually support ourselves in the upright.  

So what influences our posture? There will be many factors including our environment, attitude to life and past experiences. For now, let’s just stick to the physical side of things. Although it is a bit of a simplification, it can be helpful to distinguish between those muscles whose main job is to hold us up all day (postural support) – some people call them our ‘being muscles’ – and those that are principally in charge of short-term tasks, such as lifting or reaching out (so-called ‘doing muscles’). The postural support muscles tend to lie deep inside us, for example running along the length of the spine. The ‘doing muscles’ tend to lie more superficially in the torso, or are muscles of the limbs (biceps is an obvious example). In reality it’s a lot more complicated than this, different muscles have different proportions of fast-working (action oriented) and slow-working (postural-related) fibres and, of course, it’s a bit artificial in any case to talk about muscles in isolation, rather than thinking about ourselves as a whole. However, this basic model can help us understand a bit better how we work, how things can go wrong, and how the Alexander Technique can help.

When our postural muscles are working well (as in the example of a typical toddler), standing, sitting upright and moving can appear almost effortless. This is not surprising because these muscles are designed to work over long periods, so they don’t tire easily. Sadly, by the time most of us have grown up (and often earlier) we have developed a significant imbalance in the working of our muscles. This is largely because of the way we have subconsciously adapted ourselves to a life that we did not evolve for – one of chairs and mobiles, relative inactivity and repetitive stances and movements. One of the consequences of this lifestyle is a double whammy of our postural muscles losing some of their tone, hand-in-hand with developing a chronic over-use of some of our ‘doing’ muscles. If our postural support is not working as well as it can, then we tend to try and compensate by using the ‘doing’ muscles to try and hold ourselves up (the ‘doing’ muscles are the ones that we have very direct control over). This is why people can end up feeling bad about their posture – they know they are trying really hard but to no effect. It’s not their fault, they’re just using the ‘wrong’ muscles.

So how can learning the Alexander Technique improve our posture / postural support and mitigate against posture-related problems?

In Alexander lessons you will have the experience of moving, sitting, standing and doing other daily activities in a non-habitual and less effortful way. This experience is facilitated through the hands-on work from the teacher, combined with your new Alexander thinking skills. Over time, with continued lessons and practice, you develop a better balance of muscular tone throughout, with more dynamic postural support and less excessive muscular tension. Research has shown that extensive Alexander experience leads to significantly greater adaptability of postural tone [2,3] and improved posture [4]. Moreover, clinical trials have demonstrated that one-to-one Alexander lessons help people reduce long-term back and neck pain (5, 6).

So if you find that you’re not sitting comfortably at your desk, or if you find you’re caught in a ‘yo-yo’ of slumping and trying to pull yourself up, or if you have pain that may be posture-related, why not find out if the Alexander Technique can help you?*

*If you’re based in or around Edinburgh, you might want to get in touch with me for a chat. The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) also has a list of UK-registered teachers. It’s important to find a teacher who suits you, so don’t be afraid to call up several and see who you gel with most.

1. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. Staying healthy: three surprising risks of poor posture. 20 July 2023.
2. Cacciatore TW, Gurfinkel VS, Horak FB, Cordo PJ, Ames KE. Increased dynamic regulation of postural tone through Alexander Technique training. Human Movement Science 2011;30:74–89.
3. Cacciatore TW, Mian OS, Peters A, Day BL. Neuromechanical interference of posture on movement: evidence from Alexander Technique teachers rising from a chair. Journal of Neurophysiology 2014;112:719–29.
4. Johnson MB, Cohen RG. Altered coordination strategies during upright stance and gait in teachers of the Alexander Technique. Frontiers in Aging 2023;4:1090087. doi: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1090087.
5. Little P; Lewith G; Webley F; et al. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons; exercise and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain. British Medical Journal 2008;337:a884.
6. MacPherson H, Tilbrook H, Richmond S, Woodman J, Ballard K, Atkin K, Bland M, Eldred J, Essex H, Hewitt C, Hopton A, Keding A, Lansdown H, Parrott S, Torgerson D, Wenham A, Watt I. Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture sessions for persons with chronic neck pain: A randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 2015;163:653–62.