About 86% of American workers sit at a desk all day, every day. Life in modern society has many healthful advantages like antibiotics, painkillers, and grocery stores. Unfortunately, we haven’t physically caught up with the times, and sitting at desks all day pulls our bodies out of alignment. Are you experiencing shoulder and neck pain lately? Has your posture started to resemble that of a boiled shrimp? – Improve Posture
Put your body back into shape with these workouts to improve posture!
Workouts to Improve Posture
Before you begin, it’s important to assess your current posture. Don’t worry, even the best personal trainer or fittest bodybuilder can struggle with poor posture. You can assess your posture by standing with your heels against a wall.
With your body relaxed, the wall should touch you in four places: your heels, your upper butt, your shoulder blades, and the back of your head. If any of these points don’t connect, you may have improper leaning or hunched shoulders.
Child’s Pose
Child’s pose is a simple yoga pose that you can easily incorporate into your morning stretches. Lay a yoga mat, rug, or towel on the floor, then kneel with the tops of your feet flat on the mat.
Sit your hips back as far as you can, resting your butt on your heels if possible. Spread your knees about 12 inches apart and slowly reach forward until your chest rests on your knees and you feel a stretch in your lower back.
Pectoralis Stretches
The pectoralis major and pectoralis minor can become shortened or immobilized by bad posture. Stretching these muscles is key to sitting up straight and un-hunching your shoulders.
To stretch your pectoral muscles, hold the sides of a doorway and lean in, keeping your hips and back in line. If you don’t have a doorway available, lean into a corner or stretch one side at a time against a wall.
Rhomboid Stretches
Like the pectoral muscles, the rhomboid muscles play a huge role in posture improvement. Your rhomboid muscles sit under the trapezius muscles and between your shoulder blades; they connect the scapula to the upper spine. You’ll feel your rhomboid muscles contract if you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Stretch your rhomboid muscles by squeezing your shoulder blades, reaching your arms forward, and reaching overhead. If you sit for long periods every day, try to stretch your rhomboid muscles for a few minutes every hour.
‘Bows to the Wall
Do you feel like you always have knots in your shoulders? Hunched shoulders are commonly the result of tight trapezius muscles. One great stretch for the trapezius is the “elbows to the wall” stretch.
To perform this stretch, stand facing a wall with your hands at the back of your neck. Press your elbows upward against the wall and let your body lean forward. You should feel a deep stretch in your upper back.
Corpse Pose
This is the easiest exercise by far, and it’s great for relieving tech neck.
Lay flat on a yoga mat or blanket with both feet straight out and your hands at your sides. Take deep breaths, think about life, and let gravity work its magic. Your back and neck should feel pulled into realignment after just a few minutes.
If this pose feels too intense on your lower back, prop your hips up on a pillow or folded blanket to relieve pressure.
Sitting Pretty
Being aware of your posture is the first step in relieving pain from sitting. Poor posture isn’t something that you can correct overnight, but practicing these workouts to improve posture will certainly help!
Did you enjoy reading about these exercises to improve your posture? Are you interested in adding more healthy habits to your life? Don’t miss out on our other awesome articles!
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