80% of Americans suffer from back problems in their lifetime.
Many experts attribute most of this to bad posture. And most of us won’t know about our poor posture habits until the pain sets in. When you’re not an expert yourself, it can be hard to know how to correct these habits.
That’s where we come in! Keep reading for our guide on how to fix poor posture with exercise.
Why Is Posture Important?
If you’ve asked “do I have bad posture?” the answer is likely yes; most of us suffer from it at some point. Some signs of bad posture include:
- Muscle tension
- Back pain
- Hunched shoulders
Good posture is important to develop flexibility, strength, and balance in your body. When your body works right, you won’t feel back pain and will use less energy to get around easier.
This is vital even more so for people who work in an office environment. For the best standing posture, consider a desk you can raise. For the best sitting posture, make sure your office chair is right. You want to consider something like a lumbar support gaming chair.
Exercises to Help Improve Bad Posture
Now we know why posture is important, let’s explore some exercises that can help improve it.
Cat-Cow
This exercise focuses on stretching the spine. Here’s how you can do it:
- Place your knees and hands on the floor like a cat.
- Look up while inhaling and push your stomach towards the ground, extending your spine.
- Arch your spine up to the ceiling and exhale, tucking your chin into your chest.
- Keep doing these movements for at least 1 minute.
Cat-cow also relieves torso, neck, and shoulder tension and encourages good blood circulation.
Child’s Pose
This exercise relaxes and stretches your hamstrings, glutes, and your spine. Here’s how you do it:
- Sit on your shins pressing your knees together so your big toes touch and your heels splay to the side.
- Bend forward at the hip, walk your hands forward, and sink your hips towards your feet.
- Press your forehead against the floor with your hands out in front of you or resting back along your body.
- Breath deep and stay like this for between 2-5 minutes.
Child’s pose also helps push out the tension in your neck and your lower back.
Downward Dog
This exercise is targeting back pain across every area of your back. This is how you do it:
- Press your stomach to the ground, press onto your palms, and tuck your toes beneath you to lift your heels.
- Raise your hips and knees to bring your tail bone towards the ceiling with your knees bent a little.
- Lengthen your spine, press on your palms more, and keep your heels lifted.
- Keep your breath steady and stay like this for 1 minute at a time.
Downward dog will also help to align your back muscles and strengthen them.
How to Fix Poor Posture Made Simple
When it comes to how to fix poor posture, exercise is your best friend. Some simple stretches can go a long way, helping to relieve tension and strengthen your body. The best part is it’ll only take 10 minutes of your day.
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