Stretches for Posture
Do exercises that strengthen the muscles across your upper back and shoulders. These do not have to be strenuous! Try the following, and once you’ve mastered them, you can add hand weights if you really want to:
Arm lift
Align ears with shoulders to ensure you are already in good form. Raise both arms out to sides at shoulder length. Hold for a slow count of ten. Slowly lower arms to sides, counting ten as you lower. Slowly raise arms back to shoulder height, counting to ten as you raise arms. Do ten reps, constantly checking your alignment to be sure your ears are directly over your shoulders
Side Bend
This stretches the lower back and hip muscles. Sit on floor with right leg straight and left knee bent upwards. Place right hand on left knee and straighten left arm out to the side with fingertips touching floor. Lift left arm over head and reach diagonally toward the right foot. As you lift, turn head to the left and look toward ceiling. Don't strain. Hold for three seconds. Do five repetitions.
Neck tilt
Tilt (but do not stretch) your head in each of the four directions (forward, back, left, right), and gently massage your neck as you do. Avoid rolling in a circle, as it may cause strain.
Cat stretch
On your hands and knees, curl your back upwards, like a cat, and then reverse the stretch, pulling the spine down into a hollow. Visualise able to place a bowl in the hollow of your back.
Rope Stretch
Sit on exercise ball or chair with your legs hip width apart, and your feet flat on the floor, ensuring your back is straight. Grasp either end of a rope or towel. Without shrugging your shoulders, lift your arms straight overhead, keeping them a little wider than shoulder width apart. With arms straight, reach behind you. Hold for three or four seconds, then return arms to overhead position. Do five repetitions.
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