Components that contribute to an improved posture include strengthening back and abdominal muscles, and keeping your spine lengthened throughout the day. MayoClinic.com emphasizes the importance of the spine's natural curvatures, including the cervical's inward, the thoracic's outward and the lumbar's inward curves. To help your body support a strong posture, perform a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises.
Function
Stretching exercises, such as those found in yoga, reduce tendencies to hunch shoulders and help diminish tension throughout the body. Poor posture is often a byproduct of tight hips and legs, so don't neglect stretches for these areas. The position of your neck plays a part in posture as well. Keep your head centered over your shoulders, rather than inching it forward. Strength exercises for leg, back and belly muscles make it easier to carry an upright posture without fatigue or strain.
Stretches
Use simple hip-opening stretches, such as a yoga butterfly or pigeon pose. In butterfly, let your knees press toward the floor to each side as you keep the bottoms of your feet gently pressed together. For pigeon, fold one leg under your upper body with the opposite leg knee-down, straight on the floor behind you. Practice on each side for up to one minute.
Reduce shoulder-hunching with chest-opening stretches like camel. From a standing or kneeling position, place your palms on each side of your lower back with fingers pointed down. Press your elbows and shoulder blades toward each other. Focus more on your upper body than on pushing your hips forward.
Strengtheners
Strength training with free weights may be your best bet for improving muscle tone to support posture, balance and strength all at the same time. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends a deadlift exercise to correct athletic and core issues. With a hand weight between 5 and 10 lbs. in each hand, bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight as you bring the weights almost to the floor. Squeeze your buttock and legs muscles as you rise back to standing, putting your shoulders back and down into a neutral position. Give Pilates a try, too. This exercise format focuses on proper alignment, core-building exercises and body awareness.
Posture Awareness Exercise
Stand with feet about hip-width apart. Become aware of your feet being rooted to the floor, then raise that awareness to your legs, hips, torso and crown of your head. Let your knees remain unlocked, but not bent. Lengthen your spine as much as possible, imagining that your head can reach the sky. Roll your shoulders back, then down, and feel compact in your hip and belly muscles. Stand like this for 10 to 15 deep breaths. To loosen up, roll your shoulders blades toward each other in gentle circles.
Expert Insight
"Yoga Journal" magazine asserts that practicing yoga can help improve posture even if you suffer from scoliosis. Focus on poses that make you more aware of your spine's length, such as tree and downward-facing dog. A variety of exercise formats, which include strength training, Pilates and yoga, may help you improve your posture by giving your body just the right amount of muscle tone and stretching you need to uphold yourself with ease.
