She’d spent over 30 years feeling self-conscious about her posture. Mirrors, shop windows—even certain clothes—were constant reminders of something she didn’t like: the way her posture made her look and feel.
When I assessed her posture, it was clear that her upper back, head, and shoulders were rounding forward.
But posture isn’t just about the upper body. The whole body works as a system—everything’s connected.
When I looked closer, I noticed something else.
Her hips were leaning forward from her ankles. This imbalance was contributing to the forward hunch in her upper body.
To address the areas she disliked—her upper body alignment—we also needed to focus on her hips. It may seem odd, but this approach was key for getting the best results.
Here’s why: the body is a system, and to fix one part, you have to look at how the whole system functions. By correcting the alignment in her hips, we could achieve more effective and lasting results for her posture.
Generic stretches weren’t going to cut it. I introduced her to posture correction exercises specifically chosen for her, ones that matched her strength levels. These exercises were simple enough to do at home, with no equipment needed, and short enough to fit into her daily routine.
We met around ten times in total. Initially, we met weekly, but we gradually spaced out our sessions as she made progress. In our follow-ups, I ensured she was doing the exercises correctly and introduced more advanced moves as she improved.
You can see her progress in the photos below.
Not only did this improve her appearance, but it also helped her move, breathe, and feel better overall. Her posture isn’t “perfect”—but that’s never the goal. After 30 years of hunching forward, this shift was huge for her.
In her own words: “I feel straighter, taller, and much more confident in myself – and happier too.”
Her journey is proof that real change is possible—no matter how long you’ve been stuck. And that the body wants to feel better. Sometimes, it just needs the right guidance.
Written by Ameet Bhakta, BSc, DipHE
Certified Postural Alignment Specialist (Egoscue Institute)
Founder of Health Through Posture, London & Tunbridge Wells