Gabby George On Why Posture Is One Of The Most Overlooked Parts Of Wellness

I don't know about you, but I catch myself doing it at least 20 times a day. I'll be sitting at my computer writing, glance over at my reflection in the window, and realize I'm completely folded over my laptop. Shoulders rounded. Neck craned forward. Then I do what we all do: sit up a little taller. But that lasts for about 30 seconds before I slowly melting back into my goblin posture.

For years, posture felt like something our parents nagged us about.

Now, everyone is talking about it. There are posture workouts all over TikTok, and mobility classes are more popular than ever. People are talking about alignment with the same enthusiasm they used to reserve for ab workouts.

It's a fascinating shift. Because when most people say they want better posture, they're usually not talking about standing perfectly straight. They're talking about wanting to move without feeling stiff. They want to feel stronger, more confident, and comfortable in their own body.

George didn't build GGStudio around six-packs or calorie burn. As a former dancer with a background in Pilates, barre, breathwork, and public health nutrition, she's watched her own relationship with movement change over the years.

"I realized movement wasn't just about performing or changing my body," she tells me. "It was about feeling strong, regulating my mood, building resilience, and becoming the best version of myself."

That shift shaped everything she teaches today. So when I asked why posture has suddenly become such a hot topic, her answer surprised me.

"It's not really about posture," she says. "Our bodies are designed to move, not stay in one position all day." That feels obvious, but it's easy to forget when most of us spend hours sitting at desks, driving, or looking down at our phones.

The problem isn't that we're slouching every once in a while. It's that we often don't move enough to balance out all that sitting.

One thing I appreciated about George's approach is that she doesn't encourage people to constantly think about pulling their shoulders back. Instead, she sees posture as a byproduct.

"When you have good mobility and awareness of your body and alignment, you naturally move with more ease, efficiency, and confidence," she says.

That's an important distinction. Good posture isn't something you force all day long. It's often the result of building a body that's strong enough and mobile enough to support you naturally. George says that's exactly what she hopes people gain from her classes.

I asked George what people actually mean when they say they want better posture. Her answer wasn't "stronger upper back muscles."

"I think it's all of the above," she says. "People want to feel confident, capable, and comfortable in their own bodies."

That really stuck with me. Because if you think about today's fitness trends, the conversation has changed. A decade ago, the focus was often on getting smaller. Today, more people are talking about feeling stronger, building muscle, aging well, improving mobility, or simply feeling good in their bodies.

Confidence has become a wellness goal.

"I believe confidence comes from taking care of yourself," George says. "Movement is one of the most powerful ways to build that confidence from the inside out."

If posture is the outcome, what actually gets you there? According to George, it's a combination of mobility and strength. "Mobility gives you the freedom to move, and strength gives you the ability to control that movement," she explains. "Better posture is often the result of having both."

It's also why she doesn't believe there's one perfect workout for posture. Strength training, mobility work, recovery, Pilates—they all play a role.

She also encourages people to rethink what counts as movement. If you work at a desk all day, you don't necessarily need an hour-long workout every time your shoulders start feeling tight.

"Even just a few minutes of movement can make a noticeable difference in how you feel for the rest of the day," she says. That could mean a quick walk around the office, a few mobility drills, or a five-minute upper-body workout between meetings.

If George could have everyone change just one thing, it wouldn't be to sit straighter. It would be to move more often.

Take a walking meeting. Stretch while your coffee brews. Stand up every hour. Sneak in five minutes between Zoom calls. Those little moments matter more than we give them credit for.