What patients tell us

Can Bad Posture Be Fixed?

Name: Can Bad Posture Be Fixed? Why Posture Is Learned
Creator: Abby Dante
Published: 2026-10-18

Two things Dr. Abby hears about posture all the time, and what she says back.

By Dr. Abby Dante, DC Published October 18, 2026

Dr. Abby Dante standing behind a patient who holds two kettlebells at her shoulders in a half-kneeling lunge

In Dr. Abby's words

Is bad posture permanent?

We hear this all the time. Usually followed by:

A patient says: “It's just because I sit at a desk all day.”

Dr. Abby

But posture is not permanent. It is learned.

If your shoulders spend all day rounded forward, your body will eventually treat that as normal.

A patient says: “I've always been like this.”

Dr. Abby

The good news? Your body can adapt the other way too.

That is where strength comes in.

What the research says

A Mayo Clinic piece on healthy posture notes that reaching for your phone and keyboard can place stress on your upper back and neck, “resulting in rounded shoulders and forward head.” (Mayo Clinic)

Harvard Health points to strength as part of the picture: “Weak core muscles encourage slumping.” (Harvard Health)

Writing about kyphosis, a forward rounding of the upper back, Harvard Health says “you can strengthen your muscles and improve your posture even if it's already starting to sag,” and reports that a 2019 analysis concluded “strengthening appeared to be more effective than stretching alone in improving kyphosis.” (Harvard Health)

On forcing it, Mayo Clinic physical therapist Alynn Kakuk says, “When some people try to work on their posture, they tend to overdo it.” The same piece says strengthening your muscles “will make it easier for you to maintain that posture” over time. (Mayo Clinic)

Sources

Mayo Clinic, Expert alert: What is a healthy posture and how to maintain it
Harvard Health, Why good posture matters
Harvard Health, Stand tall

What we hear, and what she says

Should you just sit up straighter?

What we hear	What Dr. Abby says
Constantly trying to “sit up straighter.”	“Start building the muscles that support better positioning naturally.”
“I've always been like this,” so it's permanent.	“Posture is not permanent. It is learned.”
Good posture is something you force.	“Posture should be trained, not forced.”

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Trained, not forced

Does strength training help posture?

Instead of constantly trying to “sit up straighter,” start building the muscles that support better positioning naturally. Because posture should be trained, not forced.

What the research says

Harvard Health says that in some cases of kyphosis, years of poor posture leave muscles “too rigid and too weak to support your upper body properly,” and quotes Dr. Beth Frates of Harvard Medical School: “It's going to take active engagement, exercise, and strength training to improve posture and stay upright.” (Harvard Health)

How long does it take to fix posture? There's no fixed timeline. In general it varies with how long the pattern has been there and how consistent the work is. Harvard Health says exercises that promote strength and flexibility “can help you improve your stance over time.” (Harvard Health) Cleveland Clinic quotes chiropractor Dr. Andrew Bang: “making a habit of good posture may take some time.” (Cleveland Clinic)

Sources

Harvard Health, Stand tall
Cleveland Clinic, The Health Effects of Poor Posture

If your shoulder aches from sitting at a desk, our page on shoulder pain from desk work covers it. For the bigger idea behind building strength before something hurts, read Dr. Abby on proactive vs reactive healthcare, or, if your weekends leave you sore, on weekend warrior injuries.