Simple Exercises for Better Posture

Your posture tells a story about you. If you have good posture and stand up straight then you appear confident and self-assured in who you are. If you don't have good posture and you slouch then you appear less sure of yourself. When you maintain a slouching position for years then you're training your muscles counter-effectively. You need to retrain your muscles to fix your posture. This isn't hard to do but it will take time and conscious effort on your part in the beginning but you'll find that as time passes, it will take less and less conscious effort and will become natural to you. Here are some exercise suggestions that will help improve your posture.

Yoga. Yoga is one of the best exercises for posture improvement. It helps you stretch and strengthen at the same time while also relieving tension. Once you start learning yoga poses and movements you'll start to feel the tension in your shoulders and back disappear. You can do yoga in a group setting or in the privacy of your home. If you choose a group yoga class be sure to check the credentials of your instructor. You want to make sure you have an instructor who will guide you through the movements and yoga postures safely. If you choose to do yoga at home there are many DVDs and books available that will help you through the poses. Remember to never push yourself too hard. Flexibility comes in time and with practice.

Back Exercises. There are a few back exercises you can do that will help your posture. If you belong to a gym and have access to a trainer there or fitness personnel you can always ask them for exercises that they recommend to help you improve your posture. If you choose to go it alone, start with light weights and work your way up. If you haven't been exercising your back you don't want to do anything that will put undo strain or pressure on an already strained back. And yes, if you have bad posture then your back is already strained. Remember to keep good form as you're working through these exercises. For the first exercise you'll need a set of light dumbbells. Sit in a chair and place the dumbbells at your feet. Sit straight up and make your back straight. Keeping your back straight, lean forward in the chair until your chest almost touches your legs. Pick up your dumbbells and lift them up squeezing your shoulder blades together. Your elbows will be bending slightly outwards as you lift the dumbbells. Do 10 to 12 reps and 1 to 2 sets to start. Repeat this at least twice a week.

The next back exercise requires a rubber exercise band. Hold the band behind you so that your thumbs are facing outwards and your palms are facing forward. Lift your arms to the back slightly and stretch the rubber exercise band. You should feel the muscles between your shoulder blades tighten. If you don't have an exercise band you can substitute a small towel but you won't be able to alter the tension.

Abs. Your abdominals play an important role in your posture. If you build your abdominals up correctly they will help to support your back, especially your lower back. You can do crunches for your upper abdominals and leg lifts for your lower abdominals. An easy abdominal exercise that you can do anywhere, even sitting at your desk at work, is to consciously pull your abdominal muscles in and hold for a count of ten. Do this ten times. Once that becomes easy, you increase the length of time from a count of ten to a count of twenty and onwards.