Do you want to avoid having spinal curvatures due to your bad posture? Or are you having low self-esteem because you have poor posture? There can possibly be some major problems that you will encounter later on if you continue to have bad posture. But don’t fret because there are ways to improve posture.
If you suffer from bad posture, there are a lot of exercises which help improve posture. But let’s first look at what issues may arise because of bad posture.
Potential for Spinal Curvatures
Having a poor posture will sometimes lead to spinal curvatures. Spinal curvature is a medical condition in which there are obvious deviations in the spine. There are three different spinal deviations one may have.
- Lordosis- This is the inward curvature of the spine, and it is normal for pregnant women.
- Kyphosis- This is commonly known as the hunch back and it is the curvature of the upper back.
- Scoliosis- This is the lateral curvature of the spine, which is commonly seen in female teenagers. This type of spinal curvature often results from poor posture or could be a genetic cause.
Aside from these spinal curvatures, poor posture could even result to something more serious. Having poor posture poses a lot of health problems to your body.
If you want to avoid these conditions, you must take action to help improve posture now with some exercises geared towards strengthening muscles. According to most research, exercise can correct your posture. If you have exercises that promote good posture as part of your training program, the following may occur:
- There will be a higher possibility that you could prevent any health issues caused by your improper posture.
- Health care providers suggest that instead of using braces to correct the curvature like when someone has scoliosis, one can engage in swimming exercises as a form of treatment if the condition is not that severe.
- There are exercises that will help you strengthen stabilizer muscles; specifically your back, neck and shoulder muscles. These stabilizer muscles will help you to hold your back straight, thus, maintaining proper posture.
Exercising to improve posture will also promote good blood circulation to all parts of the body. - You will not be spending much money in correcting your posture. Some people need to invest in braces to improve posture. These devices may be costly, so taking the steps necessary through exercise will help you avoid spending money on these devices.
Exercises That Help Improve Posture
The types of exercise that you want to focus on will strengthen your core muscles. Specifically, the core are the muscles of the abdominals and lower back. Here are some suggestions for exercises that will help improve posture:
Bird Dogs
Get on the ground on all fours. Tuck your toes under and start by extending your right leg behind you. Slowly lift your leg off the floor no higher than hip height. Tightening your core, reach your left arm forward no higher than shoulder height and turn your palm inward so your thumb points toward the ceiling. Hold for no more than eight to 10 seconds, keeping your hips and shoulders level. Do six to 10 reps. Return to starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Cat/Cow
This is a yoga movement. Depending on the yoga instructor, this can also be called Cat/Dog. Get on all fours with your wrists directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Keep your toes tucked under. Inhale, relaxing your belly so it moves toward the floor, and gently arching your back, tilting your tailbone and chin toward the ceiling. Exhale, gently rounding your spine, drawing your chin to your chest, and untucking your toes. Repeat this movement back and forth for eight to 10 reps.
Single Leg Extension
On your back, 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 lower back on the floor. If your lower back comes up off the floor, extend your leg higher toward the ceiling. Switch legs. Start with eight to 10 extensions on each side.
Back Extensions
On your stomach, 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 (this is the key). Do not push down into your arms to press up. Keep your hips on the floor, and gaze down at the floor to relax your neck muscles. Slowly lower back down. Repeat eight to 10 times, adding more as your lower back gets stronger
Other exercises programs you may want to consider to help improve posture are yoga and pilates. Both disciplines are great ways to help strengthen your core.
Above all, there are a lot of benefits one can get from daily exercises to help with your posture. So, if you want to correct your posture, take the steps necessary to help strengthen your core muscles and stabilizer muscles.