3 Simple Exercises to Improve Your Posture

Having a good posture is more than just looking good. A good posture promotes strength, balance, and flexibility of the body. With all these, the body experiences less muscle strain and pain and is energised over long periods as well. A good posture also reduces the stress exerted on muscles and ligaments, which reduces the chances of injury significantly.

Read on to find out how these 3 exercises can help you maintain a better posture.

1. Child’s Pose

The resting pose stretches the body along the spine, glutes, and hamstrings. It’s an exercise that helps release tension in the neck and lower back.

Sit on your shinbones with your knees close, big toes touching, and the heels spread out to the side. At the hips, fold forward and walk the hands out in front of you. Sink the hips back down towards the feet. If the thighs won’t go all the way down, place something under them to provide support, such as a pillow or folded blanket.

Gently turn your head to one side or place the forehead on the floor. Do this while keeping the arms extended or rested on your body.

Take deep a deep breath, right from the rib cage and waist.
Maintain this relaxed pose while breathing deeply for about 5 minutes.

2. Forward Fold

This stretch is done while standing and helps relieve tension in the spine, glutes, and hamstrings. It also helps stretch the legs and hips. Be keen to feel the entire backside of the body lengthening and opening up when doing this stretch.

To do it:

Stand, with the big toes touching and the heels slightly apart. Place your hands on the hips and fold forward at the hips. Release the hands toward the floor or place them on an arbitrary object. Be sure to go as far as you possibly can, even if the hands don’t touch the floor.

Slightly bend your knees and soften the hip joints while allowing the spine to lengthen. Tuck the chin into your chest and fall on the floor with the head. Maintain this pose for about a minute.

3. Cat-Cow

Practicing this pose helps you stretch and massage your spine. Additionally, it helps release tension in the torso, neck, and shoulders while boosting blood circulation.

To do it:

Get down on your knees and hands, ensuring that your weight is well-balanced between the four points. Inhale, look upward and drop your abdomen downward while you extend your spine (cow pose).
Exhale and arch your back upward and tuck the chin into your chest.
Interchange these positions for about a minute.