Posture, Compression, and the Slow Creep of “Why Does My Body Feel Like This”

I see this pattern constantly, across ages, genders, and body types: people assume discomfort, tension, or loss of ease appeared suddenly. In reality, it almost always develops quietly, over years.

Posture is not just how someone sits or stands in a moment. It is the long-term relationship between gravity, tissue, and nervous system. When the body spends hours each day in compressed positions, especially sitting, certain areas gradually lose space, circulation, and adaptability. The body doesn’t protest right away. It compensates.

Over time, those compensations become the new normal.

Compression affects more than muscles. It influences circulation, nerve signaling, joint movement, and the nervous system’s sense of safety. When tissues are consistently compressed, they become less responsive. Sensation dulls. Movement becomes guarded. The body works harder to achieve the same outcomes it once did easily.

This is why many people feel tight even when they stretch, or fatigued even when they rest. The issue isn’t effort or flexibility. It’s prolonged structural load without adequate restoration.

In my work, restoring comfort often begins with creating space again. Not forcing change, but allowing tissues and the nervous system to experience relief from constant pressure.

When compression eases, circulation improves. When circulation improves, sensation and coordination follow.

Posture isn’t about perfection. It’s about whether the body has enough room to function.

Related reading: How Sitting Is Killing Your Sex Life (and Your Orgasm) by Joanna Iris