Exercises for Better Posture
Want the lean look and elegant posture of a yoga or Pilates teacher? Good posture comes from strong core muscles that stabilize your torso, whether you're sitting at your desk or running errands all day.Good Posture Starts With a Strong Core
Want to know the best way to improve your posture? Focus on a strong core -- the abdominal and low back muscles that connect to your spine and pelvis. Some of the muscles move your torso, for instance, by flexing, extending, or rotating your spine. Others stabilize your pelvis and spine in a natural, neutral position. The old-style sit-ups used only a few core muscles, often with jerky momentum. Today's yoga, Pilates, and core fitness programs target all of your core muscles with slow, controlled movements to get the most out of your core workout.The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association urge all healthy adults to add muscle-strengthening exercises to their fitness program at least twice a week for optimal health.
Poor Posture and Back Pain
Weak core muscles are common for people with low back pain. And poor posture can make back pain worse. Core-strengthening helps ease and prevent low back pain, a common problem for 31 million Americans.The North American Spine Society recommends core strengthening exercise for people with mild low back pain to improve posture, ease symptoms, and prevent future back pain. For severe back pain or injury, clear any exercise program with your doctor before you start. Depending on your health condition, some exercises may not be recommended.
The Anatomy of Posture Exercises
Picture these core muscles you'll strengthen for good posture:- Rectus abdominis: The wide "six-pack" muscle runs vertically down your stomach. It's used when you bend your spine forward.
- Obliques: The obliques run diagonally around your waist to rotate your torso. The internal obliques lie under the external obliques.
- Transverse abdominis: The deepest core muscles wrap around your waist like a corset and pull your abdomen inward and upward toward your spine. Exhale strongly and pull your stomach in, and you'll feel these muscles working.
- Erector spinae: These back muscles extend your spine and prevent slouching.
Better-Posture Exercises
Make these posture-boosting exercises a regular part of your workout. Remember to exhale strongly and pull in your core muscles as you work -- a key principle in both Pilates and yoga.1. Core Stabilizer: Single Leg Extension. This exercise trains your core muscles to work together to stabilize your pelvis.
- Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands behind your head. Press your low back into the floor, and curl your head up off the floor.
- Action: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Slowly pull one knee into your chest, keeping your low back pressed to the floor, while extending your other leg straight at about a 45-degree angle off the floor. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your low back on the floor. If your low back arches off the floor, extend your leg higher toward the ceiling. Switch legs. Start with five to 10 extensions on each side.
Variations to increase intensity:
- Double-leg extension: Pull both knees into your chest, then extend both legs straight at about a 45-degree angle, using your core to keep your low back on the floor.
- As you extend your legs, extend both arms overhead, reaching in the opposite direction from your legs.
2. The New Crunch. The new crunch works the rectus abdominis and obliques. It's also called a "curl up."
- Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press your low back into the floor. Place your hands behind your head, or reach your arms toward your knees if it doesn't create too much tension in your neck.
- Action: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Curl your head and shoulders slowly off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower back down. Repeat until you fatigue.
Variations to increase intensity:
- Extend one leg straight at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling.
- Hold both legs off the floor, knees bent, with your shins parallel to the floor.
3. Pilates Roll-Ups / Yoga Sit-Ups. These exercises work the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
- Starting position: Lie on your back with your legs straight, your feet flexed, and your arms reaching overhead on the floor. Press your low back into the floor.
- Action: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Roll up in slow motion, reaching your arms off the floor, then your shoulders and head, rolling up one vertebra at a time until you're sitting up with your abdominals still pulled in. Slowly roll back down. Repeat three to five times, adding more as your core gets stronger.
Variation to increase intensity:
- Cross your arms over your chest as you roll up.
4. Crossovers. Crossovers work all the core muscles, focusing on the obliques.
- Starting position: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, your chest lifted off the floor, knees pulled into your chest. Keep your low back pressed into the floor.
- Action: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Pull one knee into your chest while extending your other leg straight and rotating your torso toward the bent knee. Slowly switch legs, pulling the other knee into your chest and rotating your torso toward it while extending the opposite leg off the floor. Repeat five to 10 times, adding more as your core gets stronger.
Variation to increase intensity:
- The closer your straight leg is to the floor, the harder the work for your core. Try extending your leg just inches off the floor, making sure your lower back stays on the floor.
5. Cobra Pose: Back Extension. The cobra pose strengthens the erector spinae and other low back muscles.
- Starting position: Lie on your stomach with palms flat on the floor near your ribs. Extend your legs straight behind you, and press the tops of your feet into the floor.
- Action: Exhale strongly and pull your abdominal muscles in and up toward your spine. Lengthen out through your spine and slowly raise your head and chest off the floor, using only your back muscles. Do not push down into your arms to press up. Keep your hip bones on the floor, and gaze down at the floor to relax your neck muscles. Slowly lower back down. Repeat three to five times, adding more as your lower back gets stronger.
Variation to increase intensity:
- Reach your arms long beside your head. Keep your elbows straight.
6. Plank Pose. This exercise strengthens the obliques and transverse abdominis, as well as your shoulder and back muscles.
- Starting position: Start on your hands and knees with your palms under your shoulders. Extend both legs straight behind you, toes tucked under, into a position like the top of a push-up. Pull your abdominal muscles in to prevent a "sway-back," and gaze down at the floor.
- Action: Hold the plank until you're fatigued. Rest and then repeat. Keep your abdominals pulled in and up so your low back doesn't sag as you exhale.
- Forearm plank: Balance on your forearms instead of your hands.
Keep Your Core Exercises Safe and Effective
Follow these guidelines to keep your core exercises safe and to make them effective:
- Pull your abdominal muscles in and up toward your spine as you exercise.
- Work with slow, controlled movements, breathing evenly, without holding your breath.
- Tailor your number of repetitions and sets to your current level of core fitness.
- Remember that not every exercise is right for everyone. If you already have back pain, or if any of these exercises makes pain worse, check with your doctor before continuing.
Very helpful post. thanks for sharing.
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