Sitting, standing and sleeping all affect your posture. How you hold your body in alignment when in these positions is referred to as your static posture. Slumping, leaning and rounding the shoulders can cause damage to the musculoskeletal and myofascial systems, which can lead to back and neck pain. Doing simple exercises that help strengthen the muscles that support your torso will help decrease posture problems. Being aware of bad posture habits, and self-correcting them, will help to prevent future posture problems.
Step Back with Arm Swing
This standing exercise brings awareness to your posture by engaging your core and lengthening your body from fingertip to heels. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and stand with your feet together and arms at your sides. Inhale and step your right foot behind you. At the same time reach your left arms straight up toward the ceiling, stopping next to your ear. Extend your reach from your fingertips down to your heels, feeling your body lengthen. Square you hips to face forward and make sure that your back does not arch out of alignment. Pull your leg and arm back to your starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Perform five to eight repetitions on each side.
Modified Pilates Roll-Down
This modified Pilates move lengthens and strengthens the entire core and brings awareness to the spine. Begin this exercise sitting upright with your shoulders over your hips, and your feet flat on the floor with your knees up toward the ceiling. Place your hands softly behind the back of your thighs, and round your back so it forms a "C", by bringing your shoulders forward toward your knees. Exhale and tuck your chin to your chest, and slowly roll your back down the mat one vertebrae at a time, beginning with your tailbone. Take your time and visualize stretching your spinal column while performing this maneuver. Use your hands behind your thighs for back support. Roll the shoulders, neck and head to the floor last and then relax the arms to the floor. Inhale and relax your entire torso. Place the hands back behind your thighs, exhale and slowly roll up one vertebrae at a time until you sit upright as tall as you can with your shoulders over your hips. Visualize a string pulling you towards the ceiling, extending from the lower spine through the middle of your head. Repeat this exercise 10 to 12 times.
Cobra Pose
The yoga cobra pose opens up the chest muscles to create balance in the upper-body. This pose expands and stretches the chest muscles in opposition to a forward slump or slouch to help correct posture. Begin this exercise lying prone of the floor with your arms next to your side. Inhale and slowly lift your head and shoulders up toward the ceiling by pressing gently onto your elbows. If you have more flexibility in your lower-back, extend fully by straightening your arms and pushing through the palms of your hands. Hold this pose for 10 to 60 seconds, and then release. Repeat three to five times.
References
- IDEA Fitness Journal: What are some of your favorite strategies for helping clients improve posture?
- IDEA Fitness Journal: Four Corrective Exercises for Bad Posture
- University of Maryland Medical Center: University of Maryland Spine Program
- Inner IDEA: Pilates-Based Exercises for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Yoga Journal: Cobra Pose
