6 Exercises to Improve Posture

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When you sit down, do you notice that you tend to slump forward? Do you have trouble maintaining a straight posture when you stand? If this is the case, it is possible that you have poor posture.

To put it another way, poor posture is when you are hunched over or leaning forward from a vertical position. If you think of a plumb line that is dropped from the ceiling to the floor, it should run through your ear, shoulder, and hip bone, and just in front of your outer ankle if you are standing straight and upright. If you are not standing straight and upright, the plumb line will not run through any of these points.

If you have the correct sitting posture, the plumb line will pass across your ear, shoulder, and hip as it goes from side to side. You have a tiny hollowed curvature in your low back, and your sternum (breastbone) is being pulled up and out of its normal position.

Everyone has the potential to have good posture; all it takes is awareness to achieve it, and some exercises to help. Here are six exercises that will give your posture a boost.

1. Head Press


To perform a head press, begin by lying on your back on the mat with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. It is important to keep your feet hip-width apart. Your arms should be resting at the sides with palms facing upward. Maintain this position by angling the chin ever-so-slightly toward the throat. While you continue to hold this position, make a conscious effort to press the back of your head further into the mat. Ten repetitions with a gentle hold lasting three seconds each.

2. Elbow Press


To perform an elbow press, begin by lying on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. It is important to keep your feet hip-width apart. Put both of your hands behind your head in this position. Put some light pressure on your elbows and press them into the mat. Hold for three seconds and repeat ten times.

3. Chest lift


While lying on your back on the mat, bend your knees and place your feet on the mat. It is important to keep your feet hip-width apart. Your arms should be resting at the sides, with palms facing upward. While doing so, lift your chest bone (sternum) up toward the ceiling and press your shoulder blades down into the mat in a gentle pressing motion. Three seconds of holding, then ten repetitions

4. Bridge


To begin the bridge position, lie on your back on the mat with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. It is important to keep your feet hip-width apart. After giving your abdominal muscles a light squeeze, lift your buttocks off the floor and continue to elevate them until your hips are in line with your knees and shoulders. Try not to thrust your hips forward. Hold for three seconds and repeat ten times.

5. Press up



While lying on your stomach, place your palms flat on the mat at shoulder height. Your arms should be performing the effort here, while your hips and legs should remain on the mat. Gently push your upper body up off the mat by using your arms. Hold for three seconds and repeat ten times.

6. Superman


To perform the Superman move, lie face down on the mat and stretch both arms in a straight line above your head. You should have your face pointing toward the mat, and for added comfort, you can roll up a little towel and place it under your forehead. While maintaining the straight position of both your right arm and left leg, raise them both up one to two inches toward the ceiling in a gentle and controlled manner. Next, repeat the exercise using your left arm and right leg in the opposite order.

When you first begin this exercise routine, it will take anywhere from three to six weeks before you see any significant results. Your workout routine should consist of three days each week, with one day off in between each set. But if any of the exercises look too hard for you or cause pain or strain, you shouldn't do them until you can talk to your physical therapist about what to do.

exercise | stretching | posture

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