Measure first. The number decides, not the mirror.
Posture readings only mean something against a reference and a threshold. Every screen on this site gives you a stance, one or two bone landmarks, a plumb line, a three-grade readout and a risk tier — and nothing else. No routines, no rep counts, no "fix your posture in 30 days".
Answer three questions
Start with these screens
ResetNothing in the table matches all three answers. Widen one of them, or read the full table below — every deviation type is listed there with its station and thresholds.
Forward Head
The tragus sits ahead of the plumb line dropped from the shoulder.
Rounded Shoulders
The acromion travels forward of the plumb line and the scapula loses its wall contact.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt
The front of the pelvis drops and the lumbar arch deepens.
Posterior Pelvic Tilt
The pelvis rolls backward, flattening the lumbar curve and tucking the sacrum under.
Knee Hyperextension
The knee travels behind the plumb line and locks past neutral in standing.
Overpronation
The medial arch drops under load and the calcaneus rolls inward.
Deviation type by risk tier
The table is the navigation. Every row is one deviation type; the last column lists the screens published so far for it.
| Deviation | Station | Readout thresholds (within / borderline / deviated) | Tier | Screens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Head | Head and Neck | 0-15 mm anterior, clears on cue | 16-30 mm, drifts back in 2 min | over 30 mm at rest, no change on cue | Low | |
| Rounded Shoulders | Shoulder Girdle | acromion under 10 mm, full wall contact | 11-25 mm, or 30-80 mm hand gap | over 25 mm, scapula off the wall | Low | |
| Anterior Pelvic Tilt | Pelvis | under 5 deg, gap fits one palm | 6-12 deg, or 1.5-3 finger gap | over 12 deg, gap barely changes | Moderate | |
| Posterior Pelvic Tilt | Pelvis | occiput, thoracic, sacrum on wall | sacrum on wall, neck works hard | sacrum off the wall, flat lumbar | Moderate | |
| Knee Hyperextension | Knee | under 3 deg, knee stays on line | 4-8 deg behind, grows on heel raise | over 8 deg, locks under load | Moderate | |
| Overpronation | Ankle and Foot | drop under 8 mm, calcaneus under 4 deg | drop 9-15 mm, calcaneus 5-9 deg | drop over 15 mm, arch still falling | Low |
Recently published
-
Heel Slide Lumbar Check
Lie on your back, flatten the lower back, and slide one heel away until the back lifts. The distance the heel travels tells you whether the hip can extend without dragging the pelvis with it.
-
Backpack Strap Mark Check
Photograph yourself with the bag you actually carry. Where the strap crosses the shoulder, and whether the shoulders stay level, is the whole reading.
-
Wall Slide at Shoulder Height
Forearms on the wall, sliding up. The reading is how far the wrists get before a shoulder blade lifts or the lower back has to arch to help.
-
Hand Behind Back Reach
One hand up the spine, measured from C7. It is a combined movement — extension, internal rotation and scapular glide — and the two sides almost never match.
-
Prone Lift-Off Hold Time
Face down, lift both shoulder blades, and time how long they stay up before the neck takes over. A capacity reading, not a position reading.
-
Supine Shoulder-to-Floor Gap
Lie flat and measure the space under each shoulder. Gravity does the work, so the reading shows where the shoulder rests when nothing is holding it.
-
Seated Head Drift Timer
Sit at your own desk, work normally, and time how long it takes for the head to drift forward of the shoulder line. This screen measures the position you did not choose.
-
Deep Neck Flexor Hold Test
A light nod, held on the back, timed until the chin lifts. It measures holding capacity rather than range, and the way the hold fails is the useful part.
Disclaimer Plumbline Posture is an informational reference for self-measurement. It does not diagnose anything, and it is not a treatment or rehabilitation plan. Run every screen within a pain-free range and see a clinician for pain, numbness, weakness or night pain.