5 EXERCISES TO IMPROVE POSTURE
What is posture?
Posture is the position in which you hold your body whilst sitting, standing, or lying down. ‘Good posture’ involves training your body to do this whilst placing the least strain on your muscles and ligaments.
Posture can help in the following ways:
- Keeps bones and joint in the correct alignment so that the muscles are used correctly
- Helps reduce wear and tear which helps to prevent the onset of arthritis
- Decreases the strain on the ligaments of the spine
- Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions
- Prevents fatigue as muscles are being used more efficiently
- Prevents back ache and muscular pain
Common postural mistakes
According to the NHS, there are generally 8 common postural mistakes:
- Slouching (usually in a chair)
- Sticking your bottom out
- Standing with a flat back
- Leaning on one leg
- Hunched back and ‘text neck’
- Poking your chin
- Rounded shoulders
- Cradling your phone
Assessing posture
There are ways in which you can assess your posture, but there is no ‘one size fits all’ in terms of posture as every one is different. A few pointers to look at when assessing posture include:
- Note the position of the head – ideally it should be centered between the shoulders and not leaning to one side
- Check the levelling of your shoulders and hips – they want to be level and equally aligned from left to right
- Look at your torso area – ideally the whole abdominal area should be square to the front when facing forward
- Check your spinal curve – naturally the spine should have an ‘S’ curve to it if looking from the side
- Note the position of the pelvis – you want your pelvis to be neutral, not tipping forward or backward
Exercises to improve posture
- Cat/Cow
2. Childs Pose
3. Chest Opener
4. Standing ‘W’s
5. Cobra