Up to 80 percent of Americans will suffer some form of back pain in their lifetime.
But health experts have revealed how a simple trick could keep any aches or pains at bay: ‘posture walking.’
The newest walking trend is the practice of moving with mindful, intentional alignment that helps to support the spine.
Interest in the term has surged recently, with online searches increasing by 38 percent over the last three months, culminating in an all-time high of 30,000 global searches last month.
The walking style focuses on maintaining an upright stance with the head balanced directly over the spine, shoulders rolled back and slightly down into a relaxed position, a forward-facing check and the core lightly engaged.
The goal is a smooth, balanced stride that prioritizes how one walks rather than speed or distance.
Fraser Richardson, a sports and exercise expert at Protein Works, which markets protein-packed supplements and shakes and publishes expert-backed nutrition and fitness advice, said: ‘Most people think about posture as something that matters when you’re sitting at a desk, but rarely when they’re out walking.
‘The truth is, posture when walking is just as important, if not more so, because it impacts not only your muscles and joints, but also your digestion, breathing, and energy levels.’
Richardson points out that, unlike sitting, the dynamic nature of walking means that with every step, gravity exacerbates the pain from the spine being out of line. A forward-leaning head or slouched posture not only stresses the joints but collapses the ribcage, which shrinks the space where the lungs, liver, stomach and other organs can live, and increases pressure within the abdomen, preventing the stomach and intestines from naturally expanding.
Posture walking focuses on maintaining an upright stance with the head balanced directly over the spine, shoulders relaxed yet open, and core lightly engaged (stock)
A slouched posture can compress the stomach and intestines, slowing gut motility and worsening various GI issues, including bloating, reflux and constipation.
‘By keeping the spine tall and the head stacked over the body, posture walking gives the gut more room to function, helping food move smoothly through the digestive tract and supporting overall digestive health,’ Richardson said.
Proper posture improves breathing and stamina by allowing the lungs and diaphragm to expand fully and maximize the amount of oxygen a person takes in.
Experts continuously warn of developing tech neck, the posture a person adopts when they hunch over their phone. The chin tilts down toward the chest, and the head juts forward in front of the shoulders.
Avoiding a forward tech neck position opens the airways, which can reduce fatigue and boost stamina.
Dr Craig Voll, clinical assistant professor in the Purdue Department of Health and Kinesiology, said: ‘When you’re in those positions for a long period of time, the muscles kind of go into a spasm, and then they kind of pinch those nerves, and then you get those wrap-around tension headaches that we tend to see.’
Richardson added that posture walking and being more aware of one’s posture more generally reduce neck and back pain.
He said: ‘Hunched shoulders and a forward head posture put extra stress on the spine. Walking tall with the head aligned above the shoulders encourages spinal alignment, reducing the risk of aches and chronic pain.’
Roughly 16 million American adults experience chronic back pain, thanks in part to high rates of inactivity and obesity.
This translates to lost time at work, expensive trips to physical therapists and fees for exercise classes that require specialist equipment.
In recent years, clinical research has shown that walking is beneficial for lower back pain. But walking with the spine aligned is paramount.
Several studies have suggested that maintaining an upright posture, particularly while doing stressful tasks, can help decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase confidence.
A 2019 study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry reported that walking posture influences the body’s response to stress.
Researchers from New Zealand recruited 73 healthy adults and first measured their baseline mood and physiological states.
After a brief walk in their normal posture, participants were randomly assigned to either walk with an upright, confident stride, or walk in a slumped, dejected posture.
Everyone was subjected to a psychological stressor while walking to test the power of posture under pressure.
The simple act of walking tall created a buffer against stress, the researchers noted.
Psychologically, the upright group reported feeling significantly better. They were less negative, less sleepy, experienced less pain, and felt more powerful than their slumped counterparts.
Approximately 16 million American adults suffer from chronic back pain, with high rates of physical inactivity and obesity being significant contributing factors (stock)
The above graph shows the percentage of adults aged 18 and over with any form of pain. Back pain is the most common form of pain in the US, the figures suggest
The upright walkers also had significantly lower blood pressure and nervous system arousal, suggesting their posture actually helped their bodies manage the stressor more effectively.
Finally, good posture engages the core and glutes, helping the body move more smoothly and with less wasted energy, which makes walking more effective for calorie burning and lowers the risk of injury.
Holding a good posture forces the core muscles to work to keep the body upright.
Simply standing up straight instead of slouching can boost metabolism by five to seven percent. Doing this for just a few extra hours a day can add up to burning an extra 50 to 100 calories.
Maintaining good posture can improve the body’s ability to take in oxygen, which helps the body burn calories more efficiently.
‘With interest spiking online, expect posture walking to become the next wellness buzzword not just in fitness blogs, but across health, workplace wellbeing, and even gut health circles,’ Richardson said.
Among its many benefits, mindful walking is a free, foundational human movement that requires no special gear to practice effectively.
The recent surge in attention is poised to elevate posture walking from a niche practice into a mainstream wellness hack.
Proper posture has long been championed not only by physical therapists and personal trainers, but also spine experts, chiropractors and nutritionists highlighting its role in aiding digestion and relieving pressure on internal organs.
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