This program will help anyone with the primary goal of improving posture. There are 4 sections to this article:
Scroll to the bottom to see a summary of the workout.
What is Good Posture?
It seems impossible to improve your posture. You sit up straight and squeeze your shoulders back and down, but a moment later you’re slouching again.
This is because most people focus on the wrong thing.
Try this yourself. Place one hand on your low back and the other at the back of your neck and then round forward. You’ll feel these muscles activate. Now, lean back until you feel these muscles relax.
Better posture balances bones, while worse posture uses muscles and ligaments to hold you up. When we focus on balance, better posture becomes easier and requires less effort than slouching.
“Be Tall” by reaching the back of your head to the sky.
Be taller and you’ll notice your abdomen comes in and your chest naturally rises. Gently try to lengthen your spine - your effort should be somewhere between a 1-3 out of 10. This is by far the most important principle of better standing and sitting posture, and with this tip alone you can have phenomenal posture.
Keep your nose below your ears so your head is balanced on your shoulders.
Keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
Better posture is tall, but it’s not vertical - don’t push your hips forward. Instead place your fingers where the legs meet the hips and gently push back to place your hips slightly behind you.
Reach back with one arm at a time like you’re trying to reach for something in the backseat of a car to externally rotate your shoulders.
‘Anti-shrug’ your shoulders down to set your shoulder blades onto your rib cage.
Tight shoes with elevated heels create bunions and strain plantar fascia and the bones of the front of the foot.
Be barefoot or wear flat and wide shoes to mobilize and strengthen your feet - as nature intended!
Lift your toes and spread them as much as possible and then firmly “grip the ground” with your foot by attempting to bring your big toe and heel closer together. This will engage your foot muscles and raise your foot arch to create a strong foundation to stand on.
Slightly externally rotate your knees to point outwards as if you were trying to wrap your legs around you to align your hips, knees, and ankles.
Most seats promote poor posture, which stresses the spine and pelvic floor.
To sit with good posture, sit at the rear of the seat and roll your pelvis forward to sit on the sit bones. You can find these bones by sitting on your hands and feeling for two bony points at the bottom of your hips.
When the hips are well-positioned and your posture is tall, the spine is balanced and neutral. Imagine you are a dog and allow your tail to stick out behind you. Don’t slouch and sit on your tail!
If you’d like to read or learn more, the best resource I’ve found for posture is the 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back by Esther Gokhale.
How to Breathe for Better Posture
Deep breathing opens up the upper body by adding movement to the rib cage, and it's the best way I've found to mobilize the thoracic spine. Breathe deeply primarily with the diaphragm muscle (red muscle in gif below).
Too many people breathe into the upper chest or abdomen. Instead, place your hands on your ribs and breathe laterally. Think about breathing into your mid back - visualize the middle of your back stretching as you breathe in and everything coming together as you exhale.
Breathe through the nose to breathe deeper, reduce stress, and have a more attractive face.
Improve your tongue posture by pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, similar to the position it's in when you make an "n" or "ng" sound. The practice is called mewing and it improves breathing and facial structure over time. This will also strengthen the muscles of your head and neck.
That is a quick introduction to better posture and breathing. In the following sections we'll discuss exercises that can help to make maintaining this better posture easier.
Upper Body Exercise for Good Posture
Reaching overhead is an easy and effective way to mobilize the upper body and improve posture. Start by trying to reach as tall as you can with your arms and hold this position for 30 seconds. Don't force anything, just gently reach up and feel the stretch. You can do this while standing or seated, and with both or just a single arm.
Make sure your core is engaged and you're not excessively arching your low back as you reach.
Next, reach for anything overhead that allows you to hang like a pull-up bar or tree branch. Keep your feet on the ground to start and hold this position for 60 seconds. Gradually pick up your feet over time until you're hanging. This is the most time effective upper body stretch and it's very simple.
If there's nothing to hang from overhead, you can perform the prayer stretch.
To strengthen the back of the body, perform a prone Y-press for 3 sets of a 30 second hold with 10 seconds rest between.
If you're serious about making progress, perform a TRX row focused on the mid back for 3 sets of 12 reps
If you don't have a TRX, you can perform any horizontal row focused on the mid back. One option is to perform a bodyweight row by lying underneath a table and pulling your body up.
These exercises will help to stretch the front of your body and strengthen the back. Next let's discuss the lower body.
Lower Body Exercise for Good Posture
Standing with the feet wide apart is the simplest and most effective way to open up the hips for better posture. Start by standing in a split squat stance for 30 seconds per side.
Place the feet wide to the side to perform the pancake stretch and hold for 60 seconds.
Use your hands for support if needed.
Since most of us spend an inordinate amount of time seated, the hip flexors become very tight. To loosen them up, perform the couch stretch for 60 seconds per side.
Next, perform the ATG split squat for 60 seconds per side and elevate the front foot on a set of stairs or a chair.
The last lower body exercise to improve posture is to stand on a slanted surface for 60 seconds. Anything that elevates your toes and stretches your calves will work here.
Better Posture Workout Summary
I could give you the greatest posture workout crafted from the Gods! But if you don't do it, it won't work...
You must first make better posture a focus of your daily life. Re-read the first section of this article if you're unsure of how to do that or leave a comment below and I'll answer your questions.
Here is the better posture workout program I recommend for anyone looking to improve their posture. It focuses on the most critical exercises discussed above.
Better Posture Routine Summary | Perform this routine daily for best results. |
Reach OverheadWhile standing or sitting, reach and breathe deeply for 30 seconds. | |
HangHang for 60 seconds. Feet can stay on the ground if needed. If there's nothing to hang from, perform the prayer stretch for 60 seconds. | |
Prone Y-PressPerform the prone Y-press for 3 sets of 30 seconds with a 10 second rest between. | |
Split SquatStand in a split squat for 30 seconds per side. | |
Pancake StretchStand in a pancake stretch for 60 seconds. |  |
ATG Split SquatLengthen the quadriceps and hip flexors by performing a full range of motion ATG split squat. Elevate the front foot on a step or box. Perform 30 seconds per side. | |
Slant BoardStand on a slant board or a slanted surface for 60 seconds. | |
Conclusion
The best strategy to improve posture is to keep it in mind throughout the day. In the beginning it requires almost constant attention, then once you form the habit it becomes automatic.
The stretches and exercises I've shared can be completed every day. Consistency is more important than intensity. If you're very sore, take a day to rest and recover.
That is the better posture workout routine! What do you think? Leave a comment below or send me a message to start a conversation. Let me know what you’d like to see next!
If you want help on your journey, schedule a fitness consultation.
Hope this helps! Until next time! - Tom
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