4 Posture Correction Exercises to Add to Your Routine

Anyone who spends extended periods at a desk understands how simple it is to start adopting a hunched position when standing without noticing.  So it’s essential to include posture-correcting exercises into your daily routine, even when you’re busy. It will not only help you sit better and stand straighter, but it will also help you decrease the risk of the pain that comes with long periods of sitting and standing with poor posture.

How to Straighten Posture

Posture refers to the alignment of your body, which can be categorized into two types. They are:

• Static Posture: It refers to the position of your body when sleeping, sitting, and standing.
• Dynamic Posture: It describes the posture of your body while in motion.

Correct posture helps your tendons remain aligned in an optimal position. It’s a position that feels comfortable and natural for your body.

If you’re diagnosed with having bad posture, you put undue pressure on your muscles and joints. If left untreated, it may lead to widespread body pain over time. It can be felt in your hips, back, neck and knees. It messes with your balance and, in rare cases, can cause breathing problems.

There are, however, corrective measures that professionals can take to alleviate poor posture strain. Easy Allied Health chiropractors are one example of those who have made it their business to ensure your backs are as healthy as possible.

What Exercises Fix Posture?

Below are a few exercises that you can do at home that will help you correct your posture over time and have you sitting and standing taller.

1. Child’s Pose

It is a common pose in yoga. It is a resting pose that stretches your body from the tip of your head to your glutes. It helps relieve stress and tension in your back.

Follow this routine:

• Sit with your knees together, your toes touching, and your heels turned out.
• Bend your body at the hips and push your hands out to the front.
• Gently bring your hips down to your feet. As a beginner, your thighs may not go down fully, but that’s okay. Put a pillow or blanket under your thighs for support.
• Let your forehead rest on the floor.
• Your arms must stay extended or as close to your body as possible while straight.
• Take deep breaths.
• Relax like this for a few minutes while deeply breathing.

2. The Standing Stretch

The standing stretch is designed to relieve stress felt in the spine and hamstrings with the added benefit of stretching your hips, legs, and glutes. If you feel that your back is expanding in length, you’re doing a great job.

The stretch is as follows:

• Stand straight, with your toes touching. Your heels are slightly apart.
• Place your hands on your hips and bend your body at the hips.
• Push your hands to the floor as your body folds. As a beginner, your hands may not touch the floor. Push down as far as possible.
• Bend your knees a bit, feel your hip joints soften, and let your spine lengthen.
• Put your chin in and allow the weight of your head to sink towards the floor.
• Remain in those for about 45 seconds, breathing evenly all the while.

3. The Chest Opener

As the name suggests, this exercise is to open up your chest. Useful for those who spend a lot of time sitting, your chest inevitably moves inward. This exercise will strengthen your chest and leave you standing straighter.

You perform it as follows:

• Stand straight, your feet parallel to your hips.
• Put your arms behind you and intertwine your fingers. Have your palms pressed together. If you can’t accomplish this, grab a towel.
• Keep the tip of your head to the bottom of your spine aligned as you look forward.
• Breathe in as you raise your chest to the ceiling and slowly push your hands to the floor.
• Take a deep breath as you hold this pose for ten breaths.
• Release

You can repeat these steps at your discretion.

4. Thoracic Spine Rotation

This exercise increases your mobility and flexibility while relieving the tightness and pain in your back.

To perform this:

• You get on your hands and knees and push your hips down to your heels as you rest on your shins.
• Place your left hand behind your head with your elbow extended to the side.
• Your right hand must stay under your shoulder or bring it to the center and let it rest on your forearm.
• Breathe as you rotate your left elbow up to the ceiling and stretch out the front of your torso.
• Breathe in and out in this position.
• Release and go back to your original position.
• Repeat this movement five times.
• Repeat on your other side.

Improve Your Posture

There are many different types of postural correction exercises that you can work into your fitness routine or your general lifestyle. Always be careful as you perform these exercises, as the incorrect form will do you more harm than good.