From a young age were told to stand up straight.

But why is it even important to do this?

What exactly does good posture mean for you health-wise anyway?

Illustration depicting people of different ages and ethnicities discussing math equations, with the text "Beneficial or B.S." at the bottom right

First, what is good posture?

That said, one posture does not fit all, addedDr.

Mark Queralt, medical director at the Musculoskeletal Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

A woman smiles as she stretches at her desk, which has a laptop, notebook, phone, and a plant. Shelves behind her hold books and office supplies

To have that person sit straight and arch their back all day long would be painful, Queralt said.

So, what is good posture for one person may not be possible for another.

Plus, when it comes to our bodies, age-related change is part of life, Queralt explained.

A woman in fitness attire stretches with arms overhead against a plain yellow background. She wears glasses and appears relaxed

Its natural for your spine to evolve and require different postures throughout your life.

What would you think your spine is going to look like at 60?

Would you expect it to look like youre 30 or would you expect changes?

Woman in a red yoga outfit performing a pigeon pose in a living room with a blue couch, guitar, and dumbbells in the background

Good posture for you may shift, and thats totally normal.

Is standing up straight good for our health?

The answer to this differs.

Person sitting on a couch with legs crossed, wearing a sleeveless top and loose pants

Ciara Cappo, a chiropractor in California,told Healthlinethat the human head weighs 10 pounds.

For every inch your head is tilted forward, the weight your neck has to carry doubles.

So, that hunched over texting posture is certainly not doing your neck muscles any favors.

But standing up straight may not fix any health problems, either.

It also wont necessarily save you from any existing back issues.

So, should I not care about good posture?

There are two muscle groups that work well to help you with posture, Mallozzi said.

The other muscle group thats important to work is your core, which will further help support your back.

These exercises really do help people achieve this musculature that is supportive of good posture, Mallozzi said.

He added that some factors that impact posture cant be corrected with exercise.

Plus, by strengthening your spine, youre reaping the benefits of exercise, of which there are many.

Jain recommended taking scheduled breaks from sitting at work or adding a standing desk to your at-home work setup.