5 Most Effective Exercises for Posture
Written by: Jess West, CFW Health Fitness Specialist
Pop quiz! How is your posture right now? Don’t move! Is your chest dropped with your shoulders pulled forward? If your answer is yes, let’s learn how we can use exercise to strengthen your muscles so you can maintain proper posture. If your answer is no, good job and keep reading. So, what is posture exactly? It’s the natural way you hold your body and the position it’s in while you’re sitting still and moving. Poor posture can cause a lot of problems such as back pain, neck pain and even headaches. Give these exercises a try to keep your posture in check.
- Plank: Whether you perform a high or low plank, it helps relieve pain and stiffness throughout your body while strengthening your shoulders, glutes and hamstrings. Planks help develop balance and strength in your core and back, which are both important for good posture.
- Seated row: This exercise strengthens your back and shoulder muscles which aide in sitting and standing with your back straight and shoulders back. A seated row can be performed with bands and machines so you can do this at home or the gym.
- Glute bridges: Glute bridges strengthen and activate your glutes while relieving lower back pain. This improves the functioning and alignment of your hips and pelvis, leading to better posture. It can be performed using your bodyweight or by adding weights or machines.
- Bird dog: This core strengthening exercise is essential for proper posture. It activates your posterior chain muscles which include your lower back, glutes, spinal extensors and hips. Bird dogs also help with balance and coordination, which is a bonus!
- Cat-cow: Transitioning between the movements of cat-cow helps relieve tension in your torso, shoulders and neck while promoting blood flow circulation and spinal mobility. Be sure to take deep breaths to really engage your core muscles.
Did your know that by adding these 5 exercises to your routine, you could see your posture AND mood improve? Research investigating the connection between posture and emotion has shown that good posture can actually make you feel better.
Confidence + proper posture = a win-win!