Yahoo Lifestyle Trainers Are Begging You To Do 10 Simple Posture-Fixing Moves
"Stand up straight!" If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard that your entire life. But what does it really mean? The basic understanding of "good" posture involves keeping your head centered over your shoulders, shoulders stacked over your hips, knees slightly bent, and feet connected firmly to the ground. Posture improving exercises can help you maintain healthy alignment by stretching, lengthening, and strengthening the muscles that support your spine (spoiler: they're not just in your back).
But there’s so much more to proper posture than simply standing up straight as a board 24/7. “Posture is dynamic. It’s not this rigid thing,” says Marilynn Larkin, CPT, a fitness coach and creator of GET UNBENT, an online guide for posture improvement. It's about finding the best position for your body in any activity, so you can avoid pain, conserve energy, and breathe easily, she says.
In the age of constant screen time and remote work, many of us struggle to maintain good posture during daily activities. "For your spine to be at its strongest and most stable position, your head should be between your shoulders, not pulled back or forward," says Kendra Madigan, CPT, a dancer and personal trainer at Physical Equilibrium in New York. Madigan warns about 'tech neck'—the forward head position caused by leaning toward screens, which can lead to discomfort and strain over time—and emphasizes the importance of doing regular posture checks while looking at a screen for extended periods of time (even if it's just your phone) or exercising to correct and prevent this issue.
In both dance and fitness, what's often referred to as "good form" is really just aligned posture, which is crucial to avoid injury and improve your strength and mobility over time. But the benefits of improving your posture go beyond the physical. Up next, a deep dive into all the perks, plus 10 top posture improving exercises and how to do them in a workout.
Meet the experts: Marilynn Larkin, CPT, is a fitness coach, bodybuilder, and creator of GET UNBENT, an online guide to achieving better posture. Kendra Madigan, CPT, is a dancer and personal trainer at Physical Equilibrium in New York.
Benefits Of Posture Exercises
Incorporating posture-specific exercises while training is a key injury prevention tactic. "Our spine is strongest when our bones, muscles, and joints align…Most injuries in the gym occur from improper form and posture," says Madigan. Posture can even make a difference when it comes to chronic pain, from headaches to neck, shoulder, and back stiffness and aches, maintaining proper alignment can help you move and feel better, according to Madigan.
Exercises like weight lifting, yoga, and pilates can help strengthen the muscles needed to maintain good posture, but it's important to carry this practice into your daily life, too. "We are focused on form when we’re in the gym, but often drop the discipline when doing our daily activities," says Madigan. She points out that sound posture improves balance by centering your weight over your feet, too.
Beyond the physical benefits, improving your posture can also boost your confidence. "There’s a powerful connection between posture and self-esteem," says Larkin. "When you have good posture, you don’t just feel more energized, you project that energy, and others respond to it."
What muscles impact posture?
"The most important muscles for your posture are your back muscles," says Larkin. "Because the chest, particularly in women, tends to carry some extra weight, they can pull your shoulders forward." Plus, many people have tight, shortened pec muscles from sitting at desks or working on computers, which can further affect posture by causing the shoulders to slump forward and downward. Strengthening your back muscles helps to counteract that pull and keep you upright, according to her.
Your core is another key player in maintaining aligned posture. "The deep core muscles support our trunk to help the spine maintain its natural S shape,” says Madigan. While traditional core work, like planks or flutter kicks can certainly help, Larkin points out that simple movements like standing on one foot at a time or doing heel to toe walks is a great way to engage your core and improve posture (hello, farmer's carry!).
While there are certain exercises that specifically target posture muscles, Larkin emphasizes the importance of full-body workouts. "Practically all of your muscles contribute to posture, so a focus on overall fitness will help you be more aware of your body position and alignment."
Best Posture Improving Exercises
When you start out with any new exercises intended to benefit posture, Larkin recommends doing them without any resistance (bodyweight only) for a few sessions, then slowly working your way up to using resistance bands or light weights. Once you're comfortable and confident with the moves, you can increase the load with heavier bands and weights. "Common form mistakes are raised shoulders, so keep those shoulders down and away from the ears,” says Madigan.
"Even without the resistance, you get the muscle activation and body awareness of what it feels like when that muscle is activated and aligned,” says Larkin, which can help you notice what good or bad posture feels like throughout the day. You can even perform some of these non-weighted exercises, like the first two moves (which are stretches or activations), several times a day, which can be especially beneficial if you sit at a desk or have another static type of job.
Time: 20-40 minutes | Equipment: 2 dumbbells, resistance band, 1 kettlebell (can be modified without equipment) | Good for: upper and lower back muscles, chest muscles (pectorals), shoulders, abs, glutes
Instructions: Choose five to seven exercises from the list below. Perform 10 to 12 reps of each and immediately continue on to the next. Once you've finished all of your moves, rest for one minute, then repeat for three rounds. Complete this workout up to three times a week or in combination with your typical routine.
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