05 Sep The Best Exercises For Better Posture
In today’s modern workplaces, the majority of jobs demand long hours of desk work. This sedentary lifestyle not only poses significant risks to our health, but also compels us to adopt unhealthy sitting postures that will eventually become ingrained.
Poor posture is not merely a matter of aesthetics; as highlighted in the American Journal of Pain Management, it profoundly impacts and regulates various physiological functions, including breathing, hormonal production, spinal health, headaches, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity.
Given the critical role posture plays in our overall well-being, it is imperative to address and rectify bad posture through targeted exercises designed to strengthen the muscles responsible for maintaining proper shoulder alignment and a straight head and back. Here, with tons of clients and years of experience, CompleteBody presents highly effective exercises that can greatly improve your posture
Bend Over Rows:
1. Start by standing with your feet approximately hip-width apart. Hold either two dumbbells\barbell in each hand with a neutral grip the palms should face your body.
2. Begin to hinge forward at your hips while maintaining a slight bend in your knees. (Your back is parallel to the floor).
3. Retract your shoulder blades by pulling them back and together.
4. Initiate the movement by pulling the dumbbells or barbell towards your body. Aim to bring them to (or just past) your torso. HOLD this position for approximately 5 seconds.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbells or barbell back to the starting position.
6. Repeat the entire movement for a total of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial:
This exercise primarily targets the upper back muscles and effectively strengthens your rhomboids, lower trapezius, and erector spinae. These muscles play a vital role in maintaining proper shoulder alignment, helping to keep your shoulders down and back, which is essential for good posture. To enhance the muscular endurance required for sustaining good posture, focus on performing more repetitions with slightly lighter weights. A recommended starting point is three sets of 15 repetitions. This approach will help you build the necessary strength and endurance in the targeted muscles for improved posture.
Superman:
1. Lie face down on the floor, extend your arms fully in front of you, bringing them into a Y position.
2. Raise your arms, legs, and chest simultaneously. Hold this position for 10 seconds, squeezing your glutes and lower back.
3. Slowly lower your arms, legs, and chest back to the starting position.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial:
This exercise works your glutes, hamstrings, upper and lower back. It is a great exercise to alleviate lower back pain. It will also help prevent Anterior Pelvic Tilt (a.k.a. the condition of an excessively curved spine and protruding abdomen) by strengthening your glutes and core muscles.
Glute Hip Bridge:
1. Begin by lying on the floor on your back. Bend your knees, placing your feet firmly on the floor and extend your arms by your side.
2. Tuck your pelvis and slowly lift your hips off of the floor while squeezing your abs. Lift hips up until your hips, knees, and shoulders are in alignment – Hold for 5 seconds.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial:
Strengthening your glutes and core muscles will help prevent Anterior Pelvic Tilt and also help alleviate back pain.
Seated Cable Row:
1. Grabbing on to a V-bar attached to a cable machine, sit upright with your arms extended, legs slightly bent, and back at a 90-degree angle.
2. Maintaining this position, pull the handles of the V-bar back towards your torso until they reach your abdominal. Squeeze your back muscles and hold this contraction for about five seconds before returning to the original position.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial – This exercise teaches you to retract your shoulders, strengthening the muscles of your middle back that help keep your shoulders down and back. This is a great exercise for those who struggle with rounded shoulders and an excessively forward head.
The V Move:
1. Stand with staggered feet, so that one is slightly behind the other. Grasp the handles of the resistance band. Lift your hands upwards and slightly outwards at about a 30 degree angle to your body.
2. Raise your arms into a T position with your elbows slightly bent. Hold for five seconds and return to the starting position. Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down and your back straight throughout the entire movement.
3. Repeat the movement for about two minutes.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial – This exercise strengthens your upper back muscles and forces you to practice scapular retraction and depression. If done at least five times a week for two minutes, this exercise will help you keep your shoulders down and back at your desk and keep you from slouching.
Wall Angels:
1. Stand with your back against the wall and your feet about four inches from the base of the wall. Make sure that your glutes, spine, and the back of your head are all touching the wall. Slightly bend your knees.
2. Bring your arms up and bend your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor and your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and form the letter W with your arms. Hold for three seconds.
4. Straighten your elbows and bring your arms overhead to form the letter Y. Relax your shoulders and keep them away from your ears. Hold for three seconds.
5. Repeat this sequence 10 times: starting with your arms in the W position before transitioning to the Y position, holding for three seconds in each position.
Why This Exercise Is Beneficial – This exercise will help you combat an overly rounded upper back by strengthening your shoulders and back muscles while simultaneously stretching and opening up tight chest muscles. This is essential for those who spend the majority of their time bent over, sitting at a desk or texting on their phone.
Do you want more exercises to help you improve your posture? Schedule a free consultation with one of our personal trainers to figure out what specific postural problems you struggle with and find out what exercises you should be doing to fix them.
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