Our posture plays a significant role in our overall quality of life. When backaches are frequent, you can do one thing to contribute to the pain: lift your shoulders, straighten your back, and breathe deeply in and out of your lungs. The importance of good posture weighs considerably on balance, muscular distribution, and the vitality of our internal organs.
If you have been riding along with a twinge or tense shoulders, here are a few different workouts to improve your posture that you can do anywhere.
Standing Exercises
The convenience of a standing exercise works regardless of location or circumstance. These minimal exercises, when repeated often, can help tremendously with muscle regrouping and posture correction. You can do them standing in the elevator, waiting for food on the stove, or in the shower every morning as you start your day.
These standing exercises include:
- Reverse high five. Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears, turn your palms behind you and bring them together behind your back. Do this 10 times before resting.
- Chest opener. A chest opener is excellent for opening the front of the body. Bring your hands together clasped behind your back and push your shoulders up and arms back into extension. Breathe deep for five seconds before releasing.
Seated Exercises
If you’re in an office chair for eight or more hours a day, a seated exercise is right for you. Take a 15-minute pause every 60 to 90 minutes to re-circulate the blood and relieve any seated back pain. Waist trainers can relieve back pain when used in a seated position to contribute to proper upright sitting.
Consider the following seated exercises:
- Goalpost squeeze. Bending your elbows in a 90-degree position, lift your arms like a goal post and push them back behind your torso. Remember to keep your upper arms parallel to the ground to optimize the muscle groups.
- Armpit opener. With your arms positioned in the goalpost formation, lift your arms over your head and take a deep breath with each extension. Your shoulders will begin to feel tight as the muscles work. Repeat 10 times, then relax.
Floor Exercises
Floor exercises require a little more thought than standing or seated movements, but there are several different workouts to improve your posture from the ground. Introducing yoga flows is one of the best ways, but a few quick things you can implement before bed include:
- Mini cobra. Lay down on your stomach with your arms positioned at your chest and your palms flat on the ground. The bend in your elbow is essential to make this work. Gently lift your head, neck, and chest off the ground and create a curve in your spine. Do this 10 times and rest.
- Arm roll stretch. Release your arms out of the mini cobra and lay them extended on the ground. Gently roll yourself back onto the shoulder joint and extend the opposite arm. Breathe deeply and hold for up to 30 seconds.
