Improving your posture can be done through a variety of methods, including resistance training, abdominal exercises and rehabilitation work, as well as changing the way you sit. When exercising, start slowly and work with not only good form, but also ensure that your exercises are performed with good posture. Make good posture a habit. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Posture
Practice good posture at all times, and avoid sitting in standard chairs. Sit on an exercise ball if possible. This will not only force you to maintain your posture on your own instead of being able to slouch back in a chair, but also will work the smaller muscles that support your torso on a regular basis. Part of developing good posture is making it a lifestyle. When standing, ensure that you draw your shoulder blades back without looking up or down.
Exercise Your Lower Back
Hyperextensions, in which you hook your feet under a support and lean forward, then straighten up again, are an excellent exercise to strengthen your back with very little risk of injury. There is no need to hold a plate behind your head or a weight against your chest; start slowly and use a full range of motion. If you feel pain, stop immediately. When performing this exercise, ensure that you maintain proper spinal alignment at all times. Again, practice good posture.
Exercise Your Upper Back
It is possible to strengthen the upper back, which can help maintain the alignment of your upper spine. Shrugs holding light dumbbells at your sides can be performed. To do this exercise, simply shrug your shoulders up and down without bending your arms or jerking the weights. You can increase the weight, but do so gradually. A variation of this exercise can work the lower trapezius and some of the smaller muscles of the upper back that assist your posture. Lie face down on an incline bench with your torso inclined about 45 degrees. Holding dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight down, shrug in the same manner as the previous exercise.
Strengthen Your Abdominals
The abdominals and the obliques are responsible for maintaining an upright posture as they support your torso when you are standing erect. Use a variety of movements, but do not spend hours a day training your abdominals. Work them efficiently. Pick one crunch or sit-up-type movement and work it until you are tired, then perform dumbbell side bends, in which you hold a dumbbell in one hand and lean to the side, allowing the weight of the dumbbell to pull you down, then straighten up. Again, maintain good posture during this exercise.
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