The importance of good posture is difficult to understate. It is key to living a long, healthy and comfortable life, because good posture can help you to avoid injuries, chronic body issues like arthritis and kyphosis (hunchback), and unnecessary tension, pain and fatigue.
Every human body is different, so ‘good’ posture can change from person to person – but it is typically described as a straight spine, shoulders back and stomach in. Bad posture, meanwhile, is more or less the opposite.
The good news about good posture is that there are things you can do to improve yours: simple posture-improving exercises that can have you looking and feeling better than ever before.
How functional training improves posture
Good posture is a result of your whole body working together. Functional training is exercise that combines lower body, core and upper body exercises in compound movements to simulate real-life activities.
It strengthens muscles that you use in real life, including those that play a key role in posture. This focus on usable strength leads to the most useful type of muscle development, as well as better flexibility, coordination and balance.
Regular functional training can also improve your body awareness, helping you to recognise and correct poor posture habits. Over time, functional training can enhance bodily stability and muscle endurance, helping you to maintain better posture without even thinking about it.
10 posture-improving exercises to include in your workout
Looking to improve your posture through functional training? The following 10 bad posture correction exercises are ideal for engaging the areas of your body that control posture, and are easy to incorporate into your regular workout.
- Plank: Lie face down, then elevate yourself on your elbows and balls of your feet while keeping your body straight. Hold the pose for as long as you can.
- Wall angels: Stand with your back against a wall. Extend your upper arms out to the side, with your elbows on the wall and bent upwards at 90 degrees. Slowly raise and lower your arms, keeping in contact with the wall.
- Cat-cow stretch: This yoga move focuses on spine flexibility. Begin on all fours, then alternate between arching (cow) and rounding (cat) your back.
- Dead bug: Lie on your back and extend your arms and legs upwards, bending your knees 90 degrees. Drop your opposite arms and legs, ensuring your leg doesn’t touch the floor. Slowly return to the starting position then repeat on the other sides.
- Reverse fly: This exercise uses dumbbells. Stand with bent knees, then hinge your hips so your chest is almost parallel with the floor. Let your arms hang with palms facing in. Slowly raise your arms out to horizontal, then lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Scapular retractions: Pull your shoulder blades together while keeping your arms extended forward by holding something solid, like a wall fixing or the backrest of a chair.
- Rows: Rows are similar to scapular retractions, but this time you’ll move your arms. Holding a resistance band or dumbbells, pull your elbows back while squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Chin tucks: The simplest of exercises, sit or stand with your back straight, then tuck your chin in slightly and hold for a second, before returning to the starting position and repeating.
- Bridge: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, then lower your hips back down.
- Cobra stretch: Lie face down, place hands under shoulders, and lift your chest while keeping your pelvis and glutes on the ground, to stretch the spine and strengthen the chest.
All of these exercises focus on the key muscle groups that contribute to good posture: those in your lower back, upper back, neck, shoulders, chest, abs, hips and glutes. Incorporating these exercises into your workout will help build the balance, stability and flexibility that good posture demands.
A sample posture-improving workout routine
If you’re ready to put the theory into practice, here’s a short posture-improving workout routine that you can incorporate into your regular workout, or enjoy as standalone exercise:
Aim to repeat the circuit two or three times, focusing on controlled movements and proper form.
Everyday posture tips
To improve your posture, you can’t limit your efforts to the gym – you need to be mindful of your posture in everyday situations. The following tips can help to ensure that your hard work at the gym isn’t wasted.
- Workplace ergonomics: Adjust your chair, desk and screen height so your feet are flat, your knees are at 90 degrees, your spine is straight and your screen is at eye level. Use lumbar support to maintain the natural curve of your spine.
- Avoid prolonged sitting: Get up for a stretch and a walk every hour.
- Be mindful when using your phone: Hold it at eye level to avoid looking down and straining your neck.
- Stand tall: When standing, try to keep your shoulders back and your head aligned with your spine.
Posture improvement starts with the right equipment
From gym mats to dumbbells to resistance bands, a bit of basic gym equipment can be a huge help to anyone looking to improve their posture. And at GymQuip we’ve spent over 30 years supplying these critical tools, helping to straighten plenty of spines in the process.
If you’re ready to improve your posture, you can get started by browsing our vast collection of training tools and equipment. And if you’re not sure what to get, our friendly team is always on hand to help out. Get in touch today.