Whether you are sitting, standing, sleeping, or moving around posture is important and can impact how well you are able to perform said activities. Rounding your shoulders forward or letting your head shift forward as well as rounding your back are all signs of bad posture. Below are some exercises that can help prevent poor posture no matter what position you are in.
Pec Stretches
Pec stretches are really good to do to help open up your chest. When we sit for a long time, we tend to let our shoulders round forward. Doing this for long periods of time will shorten the muscles in the front of your chest. This also can cause us to round your back. A pec stretch is an easy way to stretch out the shortened muscles in the front of your chest. Find a doorway or a wall to perform this stretch. Hold your stretch for 20-30 seconds and perform 3 times.
Resisted Rows
Resisted rows are a great exercise to help strengthen the postural muscles in your upper back. This can be done with resistance bands, a cable column, or weights. The most important part of this exercise is keeping your shoulders relaxed and not letting them rise up towards your ears when you pull your arms back. Strengthening the muscles in your upper back will help you to maintain an upright posture and prevent a rounded upper back posture. Make sure the resistance you are using is not too strong so that you can maintain good form. Perform 3 sets of 10.
Chin Tucks
Chin tucks are an exercise that will prevent a forward head posture. This will help to strengthen the muscles deep in your neck and allow you to keep good spinal alignment in your neck. For this exercise, you want to pull your chin straight back and not allow your head to tilt up or down. Once you pull your head back try to hold that position for 3-5 seconds and perform 10 repetitions.
Abdominal Bracing
Abdominal bracing is a great way to activate and help strengthen your core muscles. Core muscles help to keep your body upright and can help take pressure off of your spine. For this exercise, you want to focus on keeping your back flat as you activate your abdominal muscles, like you are bearing down. Hold this muscle squeeze for 5 seconds making sure to not hold your breath. Perform this 15 times. As this gets easier, you can practice squeezing these muscles while you sit and stand.
The best thing you can do for your posture is to be aware of it. It is a good idea to set reminders for yourself to check your posture throughout the day. Set timers or alarms on your phone if you plan to sit or stand for a long period of time. Once the timer goes off check your posture. Perform some of the exercises, or stand up or walk around to give your body a break from being in the same position for too long. Once your break is over, set yourself up again with good posture. The more you do this, the better your awareness will be and your posture will continue to improve with all of your activities.
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