Your Tight Shoulders Need This Better-Posture Workout, Trust Me
When you were a kid, I'm sure someone in your life was constantly nudging you to sit up straight (or not to slouch). Okay, maybe it's just me, but I grew up with the idea that good posture was tall and proud cemented into my brain.
Now that those days are over, though, I'm willing to bet your posture could use a little help. Whether you have scoliosis like me or just spend most of your day curled towards your computer or phone screen, truly amazing posture (think shoulders back and down and a nice long spine) seems a bit like a mythical unicorn.
The truth hurts, and the truth is that many of us could benefit from doing specific posture exercises—or full-on posture workouts—to show our shoulders, upper back, and neck some love.
You see, truly good posture respects the natural curves of the spine and supports balance and stability on each side of your body. (Many of us round too much in the upper back and arch too much in the lower back.)
The moves I put together here all promote keeping your spine (including your neck!) in a neutral position—and activate the muscles required for shoulder stability. You can modify all of them depending on your skill level and what equipment you have handy, no prob. Don't have a stability ball? You can nix it and just do the move from a high-plank position.
Equipment needed: weights, resistance band, stability ball (optional)
Time: 20-40 minutes
Instructions: Choose five to seven exercises from the list below. Perform 10 to 12 reps of each and immediately continue on to the next. Once you've finished all of your moves, rest for one minute, then repeat for three rounds. To really do your posture a solid, work up to five rounds and complete this workout up to three times a week.
Get ready to feel taller AND more relaxed.
