What benefit is to be derived from good posture?
Answer: I need to preface my answer with saying that what I say below is attributable primarily from a series of my own excellent teachers. However, my mentor, the late Dr. James C. McKinney put this material most succinctly in his book “The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults.”
Why defend good posture? Doesn’t everyone believe in it? The fact is that there are teachers who never mention posture, and there are some notable singers who exhibit poor posture. It is possible that if posture become a point of emphasis, that a singer could become rigid and tense. However good posture needs to be taught and reinforced for the following reasons:
In general, the body functions best when certain conditions exist. The purpose of the skeletal framework is to support, protect and give shape to the body. The main purpose of the muscles is to produce movement and to assist in positioning the body. It is very important not to confuse these purposes. For example: standing with the body out of line or with the head hanging or projected forward of the shoulders causes muscles to take over some of the function of the skeleton, resulting in unnecessary tension and eventual fatigue. When the skeleton is properly aligned, the muscles are left free to produce movement and to assist in positioning the body, thus unnecessary tension is kept to a minimum. The bottom line is: good posture allows the body to function at its top efficiency.
The act of respiration and breath support functions best with good posture. With good posture the lungs and upper abdomen are free to function efficiently and without undue energy deficit. (What does a sunken chest do to the movement of the diaphragm?)
The larynx and resonator spaces above the larynx function at their optimum with good posture. Good posture eliminates unnecessary tension.
The singer functions best when good posture is a habit. Good posture becomes a comfortable confidence builder and can create a sense of well-being even in stressful situations such as singing in public. When you assume a position of poise, you take on that psychological sense too.
Good posture in a singer sets the audience at ease. There’s nothing that sets an audience off as slow walking, hunched shoulders and protruding-forward head. Studies have proven that what an audience sees affects positively or negatively the perception of the performance.
The general health of a person can be benefited by good posture. Vital bodily functions such as breathing and blood circulation take place best with proper posture. Body organs function better when they are not squeezed, mashed, cramped or pushed out of place due to poor posture. Habitual good posture relieves much tension and fatigue caused by sitting or standing improperly.
Taken as a whole, the case for good posture is conclusive. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain with proper posture.
Tags: benefits of good posture, Good posture, singing posture