Five Exercises to Improve Your Posture
Introduction
A healthy spine is essential for overall wellness, and the most important thing you can do to keep your spine in good condition is to practice good posture. Correct posture keeps your entire body aligned. Your bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and even your internal organs are able to function at optimal levels when you sit and stand up straight.
Poor posture, like slumping or slouching, can affect digestion, impair breathing and cause various aches and pains. Not correcting these poor habits can cause physical problems as the body ages. That’s why it’s important to implement better posture as early as possible.
We have compiled a series of exercises to help. They don’t require much equipment, and can be done at home. So get started and straighten up!
Planks: Practice the plank by lying face down on the floor with palms alongside shoulders and feet and legs together. Raise yourself into push-up position so your arms are straight and you’re balancing equally on your hands and toes. Pull your navel into your spine and flatten out your back. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Crunches (with a twist): Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head. As you exhale, lift your right shoulder off the floor, rotating toward the left. Inhale and lower your shoulder back to the floor. Repeat on the other side to complete one rep. Try for 20 reps.
Pilates Swimming: Begin lying face down on the floor with arms straight over your head. Lift the left arm and right leg, keeping the elbow and knee straight. Lower your limbs back to the starting position before repeating with the right arm and left leg. Repeat 20 times on each side.
Shoulder Rolls: Shoulder rolls can be done while sitting or standing. Inhale and raise your shoulders toward your ears. Hold for a few seconds before exhaling and pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Repeat five to 10 times at least twice a day. (Great for undoing kinks from working at the computer!)
Seated Twist: From a seated position, exhale and use the right arm of your chair to twist to the right. Your abdomen and chest will be facing the right arm of your chair. Hold this position for a few breaths before returning to the starting position and repeating on the other side. This exercise can be performed throughout the day.
Try adding these posture-improving moves to your regular exercise routine to reach a new level of health and fitness.
Our team of wellness doctors, Vasili Gatsinaris, DC, QME, James Kim, DC, Adam Abulghualya, DC, BS, ART and Caprice Leonard, MA, ATC specialize in chiropractic and health and wellness care. Our Irvine chiropractic office is located near John Wayne Airport, convenient for people living in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Santa Ana and other surrounding Orange County communities.
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