Have you ever had back pain or are you experiencing it now? Over 80% of us will deal with back pain at some point in our adult lives, and it can be quite painful. One major reason for this is our poor posture. We really need to work on improving our posture.
Take a look at yourself right now. Are you leaning forward in your chair to read this or are you hunched over your phone? Either way, your body isn’t in the best position, and neither is mine—I’m writing about posture correction after all! Let’s get serious about fixing our posture and putting an end to our nagging back issues.
Everyone has experienced back pain or knows someone who has. Sometimes it’s just a minor ache, other times it can be severe. For most people, this can be improved with posture exercises that take less than 15 minutes a day. Try walking for 5 minutes every hour you sit. This reduces stress, improves blood circulation, and enhances posture if you walk heel-to-toe with proper form.
To stretch and strengthen your upper back, lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Lift your chest, bend your elbows back, and engage your lats. Another good exercise is to lie on your stomach, extend your arms to the sides or outstretched, and lift your upper body off the floor while keeping your neck long. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat twice.
Many people develop posture problems from sitting at a desk for long hours. This can lead to muscles tightening and weakening in the wrong places. Your head might protrude forward, shoulders roll in, and hip flexors get tight, which can cause back pain.
To address anterior pelvic tilt from tight hip flexors, do a hip flexor stretch for 30 seconds on each side, then follow with slow, controlled crunches on a BOSU ball. If you don’t have a BOSU ball, do slow bicycle crunches instead. For tight chest muscles and weak back muscles, perform a pectoral stretch against a wall for 30 seconds on each side and follow up with reverse flies using a resistance band or cables. To correct a forward head position, do chin tucks by pushing your chin straight back and holding for 5-10 seconds.
For Upper Cross Syndrome, which occurs when the shoulders and head draw forward, do a Doorway Stretch for the pectoral muscles. Once the chest muscles are loosened, strengthen the rhomboids and lower trapezius with exercises like deep rows, lat pulls, Wall Angels, and T, I, Y exercises. Stretch your upper trapezius and perform deep neck flexion exercises.
To strengthen your lats, do pulling motions with dumbbells or a machine. Lunges are also great for strengthening your butt and legs, which support your upper body. Strengthen your core by sitting up tall on a bench or chair, breathing deeply, and pulling your stomach in without losing posture.
By incorporating these posture exercises into your daily routine, you can reduce or even prevent back pain. Good posture is crucial not just for avoiding pain but also for looking stronger and more confident. So sit up straight, pull your shoulders back, and hold your head high—it’s time to take your posture seriously!