Posture exercises – a set of exercises for a healthy back

Exercises to correct posture help maintain healthy back muscles and spine. Thanks to gymnastics and daily yoga, you can become the owner of a straight back and a stately figure, even at home. It is absolutely not necessary to sign up for a gym for this.

If you do not have serious pathologies of the spine or severe chronic diseases, you will be able to maintain your posture with the help of special exercises. The main thing is to do them regularly and make sure that the body is in the correct position throughout the day. Not an easy task for those who have been accustomed to slouching since childhood. But to achieve the desired result, you will have to work on yourself.

Basic rules for performing exercises

If you are doing posture exercises at home, it is extremely important to follow the basic rules and recommendations of specialists. They minimize the risks of injury or exacerbation.

Basic tips for getting a straight posture when training on your own:

It is not recommended to conduct classes after a full lunch. It is better to take it 2 hours after eating. You should also not drink a lot, so as not to provoke the appearance of unpleasant heaviness in the stomach.
Before you start performing a set of posture exercises, you should warm up your muscles well and prepare them for the upcoming load. To do this, you can take a hot shower, visit the sauna and massage them yourself for 10 minutes.
Each exercise therapy complex for poor posture should begin with a light warm-up. It is important to work all joints consistently. To do this, the head and pelvis are turned, and the body is tilted. Carrying out this procedure allows you to minimize the risk of tissue injury during training.
Exercises for posture should be carried out at the same time each time. This improves their performance. The morning period is ideal for this, as training will give you a boost of energy.
The choice of course for straightening posture should be in accordance with the age of the patient. Since training should not provoke fatigue and overload of the body.

One of the complexes for improving posture

To interest a child in gymnastics, it is worth coming up with an interesting story for each exercise, so that the whole process is playful and enjoyable. For adults, it is also important to have the right emotional state before starting a lesson.

Exercise 6: Boat

Take a lying position on your stomach. Stretch your arms forward, placing your palms together. Gently bend over, simultaneously raising your arms and straight-out legs. Try to stay in the top position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.

Exercise 7: Lock your hands

Sit on the floor, cross your legs, or simply position yourself in a comfortable position. Place your left hand behind your head and your right hand behind your back so that your fingers can be joined into a lock behind your back. If you find it difficult to do this at first, simply touch the fingertips of both palms. If pain occurs, do not overcome yourself, do not stretch the muscles too much. As you perform the movement, alternate hands.

Exercise 8: Support

Stand facing a wall at a wide stride distance. Now lean forward and rest your palms on it. Place your feet together. Perform smooth bends while keeping your back straight.

Exercise 9: Cat-cow

Get on all fours, placing your palms on the floor at shoulder width. Make sure your arms remain straight and your legs are bent at right angles.

As you exhale, slowly round your lower back and thoracic spine. Feel your shoulder blades moving apart. The back should stretch. Lower your head down, direct your gaze to your navel. As you inhale, carefully return to the starting position. Next, also standing on all fours, bend your back at the lower back while inhaling, stretching your head up. Move from one position to another for 10-15 breaths.

Exercise 10: Sphinx Pose

Lie face down on the floor, straighten your legs and place your feet together. Bend your elbow joints slightly and place your palms on the floor.

After inhaling, gently lean your chest forward, simultaneously squeezing your shoulder blades together and lowering your shoulders as low as possible. Don't lower your head, keep your chin up. Keep your gaze straight ahead and concentrate on doing the exercise.

Axial Load Exercises

Exercises with axial load are those that, when performed, compress the spine along the longitudinal line. Such complexes exist for any part of the body:

for legs, these can be various types of squats, bends and lunges with a barbell, straight-legged deadlifts, calf raises, and the like;
deadlifts, bent-over rows, or weighted shrugs for the back;
standing barbell and dumbbell biceps curls;
French press, dumbbell overhead press for triceps;
for shoulders – standing barbell presses from the chest and from behind the head.

The importance of correct posture

A straight back is not only an attractive appearance, but also good physical health in general. Correct posture helps reduce stress on the spine, muscles and joints, and also prevents them from injury. According to doctors, a person who is accustomed to standing upright uses his muscles much more effectively, his performance and well-being improve.

However, maintaining the desired arch in the lower back is not so easy. To learn “not to slouch” you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. After all, it is very difficult to rebuild brain activity. If a person maintains a certain position over a long period, the brain begins to regard it as the only correct and convenient one. It is also difficult for the body to get used to an unusual position, since an even posture implies the presence of developed muscles. Spinal straightening exercises, which we will discuss further, will help you develop the healthy habit of keeping your back straight.

Correct posture, in addition to its attractive appearance, has health benefits:

Breathing will become much easier as your lung capacity will increase over time.
Your health will significantly improve.
With an even posture, the diaphragm is fully deployed, and accordingly, the voice sounds clearer and louder.
Excessive stress on the spine, joints and muscles disappears.
Skeletal bones and muscles are held in the correct position.
A straight back prevents rapid fatigue, helping to maintain performance throughout the day.

How to replace axial loads

If you cannot overload your spine, you need to focus your training on strengthening the spinal muscles and vertebrae. Use machines and strength exercises without additional weight, avoid strong bending and standing positions, use expanders, they add stress to the muscles without a negative effect on the spine, do yoga.

It is ideal if you consult with your doctor when creating a training program. But in any case, before class you need to stretch your body with light exercises or riding an exercise bike. Exercises should be performed in 3-4 sets of 20 repetitions.

There are many exercises that will help train the same muscles, but without putting stress on the spine. In particular:

leg press and leg curls in the machine instead of squats with a barbell;
lying leg curls instead of deadlifts;
wide-grip pull-ups, overhead pull-downs to the chest, dumbbells tilted to the waist, sitting pull-downs to strengthen the back muscles;
training the pectoral muscles with exercises from a lying position;
lifting dumbbells and barbells for biceps while sitting;
various types of push-ups;
seated dumbbell and barbell presses;
swings sitting and in the simulator.

In the gym of the Grand Prix club, we will provide inventory and equipment for varied and effective workouts without stress on the back, and also recommend experienced trainers who will help you choose the necessary safe exercise programs.

Below is one of the training program options.

Causes of spinal curvature

In normal condition, the spine has natural physiological curves in the thoracic and lumbar regions. However, for a number of reasons, incorrect posture may develop. The most common of them should be listed. So, violations may appear:

Staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Most often this applies to those who, due to their occupation, have to sit for a long time. The same applies to schoolchildren sitting at uncomfortable desks.
Due to a sedentary lifestyle and weakened muscles.
As a result of various diseases and injuries affecting the spinal region.
When a person walks for a long time in incorrectly selected shoes or clothes that force him to take an uncomfortable position.
If there is a constant deficiency in the diet of vitamins and microelements necessary for the body.
When systematically performing heavy physical work.
In the absence of timely correction of postural disorders in childhood and adolescence.

Core complex

Dynamic plank with leg pull-up

This is a very effective exercise for losing weight and maintaining muscle tone throughout the body; many celebrities add it to their workouts.

We stand upright lying down, leaning on our elbows with our legs together. Bend the right leg at the knee and pull the right thigh towards the body across the side, while slightly turning the body to the right. We return to the starting position. We alternate repetitions on different sides. We do several approaches.

In addition, there are many other variations of the dynamic plank with straight and bent arms: with abduction and raising of the legs and arms to the sides, pulling the legs to the elbows, lowering the knees, and the like.

Ab crunches

Crunches are considered the most effective, simple and safe exercises for strengthening the rectus abdominis muscle, which is a stabilizer muscle of the spine. There are many types of crunches: straight, with legs raised, double and the like.

To perform straight crunches, lie down on the mat, feet on the floor, knees bent, hands behind your head. As you exhale, lift your torso up in the lower back, fix it for a second at the top point of twisting, and lower it while inhaling. We repeat the exercise several approaches.

Consequences of poor posture

Timely correction of posture is necessary not only to look attractive. Although, this aspect certainly plays an important role. The habit of slouching can lead to a number of more serious problems:

Severe pain in almost the entire body, from the neck to the lumbar region.
Significant reduction in lung volume.
Compression and even displacement of some internal organs, which inevitably entails various disturbances in their functioning.
Curvature of the spine, which, in turn, is divided into three types:
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spinal column, in which the vertebrae also necessarily rotate around a vertical axis.
Kyphosis is a spinal disease in which the spinal column is curved in the lateral plane with a convexity backwards.
Lordosis is a physiological or pathological curvature of the spine, which is characterized by a forward displacement of the convexity.

As a rule, people try to straighten their backs at home in adulthood. Although, the root of the problem is usually hidden in early childhood. According to doctors, it is uncomfortable school desks, heavy backpacks and the lack of preventive measures that primarily have a negative impact on the formation of posture.

Ideally, the weight of the briefcase should not exceed 10-15% of the child’s body weight. Only few parents know about this and think about the health of their baby.

In addition, diseases of the spine often cause degenerative-dystrophic diseases, which lead to limited mobility, constant pain and even disruption of the entire musculoskeletal system. We are talking about osteochondrosis, osteoarthrosis, as well as intervertebral hernias.

Arm muscle exercise

Bent over arm extension

The best way to perform this exercise is using lava. We lean on the bench with one hand and knee, keeping our back straight. We bend the other arm and hold the dumbbell in it with a neutral grip. With slow movements we straighten our arm, moving the dumbbell back and up, returning to the starting position.

Fortunately, the possibilities and variety of sports activities for people with spinal problems are constantly growing. Thus, in the top Kiev fitness club “Grand Prix” we have developed a set of classes for recovery from injuries, illnesses, pregnancy, etc., which combines many different techniques. You can also sign up for group classes on Lower TNT – exercises for the lower body, for those who are indicated to eliminate or reduce the load on the spine; or to posture correction classes.

See our website for the schedule, cost of subscriptions and club cards.

How to Maintain Correct Posture

To keep your back straight and beautiful, you must follow these rules:

Always be aware of your body position throughout the day. It doesn’t matter what exactly you do: vacuum cleaner, walk, work, watch TV. Yes, it won't be easy at first. It is unlikely that you will be able to keep your back straight for more than 10-15 minutes without a break. But if you train regularly, over time you will develop the habit of controlling yourself, and your posture will be straight and absolutely natural.
Maintain an active lifestyle. Don't sit still for a long time, move more.

Try not to gain excess weight. Excess body weight weakens the abdominal muscles, provokes problems with the hip joints, and causes pain of various types. All this has an extremely negative effect on back health.
Give preference to comfortable shoes with low heels. Women who love stiletto heels most often suffer from increased stress on their leg muscles and get tired much faster. In addition, systematically wearing high-heeled shoes leads to disruption of musculoskeletal functions. The pelvic axis changes its position, posture is deformed.
Make sure all work surfaces are at the correct height. When sitting or standing, the edge of the tabletop should be located at the level of the solar plexus. You must always follow this rule, no matter what you are doing: having lunch, working at the computer, or washing dishes.
If your line of work requires you to sit for a long time, if possible, take dynamic breaks (simple 3-5 minute exercises). This helps relieve muscle tension and relax the neck-shoulder area, which suffers most from prolonged sitting.

The right exercises will help you improve your posture at home or while training in the gym. The main thing is to exercise regularly and monitor your body position throughout the day.

Chest exercises

Wide grip push-ups

We take the “lying support” position, placing our palms 20 cm wider than the shoulder line. It is impossible for the elbows to go beyond the hands, the pelvis to be open, and the back to hang down. As you inhale, lower your body, straining your torso and leaning on your toes, until the bend angle at the elbows reaches 90 degrees. We straighten up to the starting position while exhaling.

Close grip push-ups

This exercise targets the triceps, while the previous one targets the pectoral muscles. Again we take the position lying down, but place our palms directly under the chest, a few centimeters from each other. For better balance, you can spread your legs slightly. We do several sets of push-ups.

Why would it be difficult to make your shoulders bigger by training only with your own weight?

Before moving on to describing a set of home exercises, you should warn about the complexity of such a path. Deltas, just like any other muscles, develop effectively if several conditions are met:

Presence of stress. This means a load that is excessive for the current capabilities of the body, leading to micro-tears of muscle fibers.
Sufficient rest period. It is during recovery that an increase in body volume occurs, since during the healing process micro-tears are filled with new tissue.

By training only with your own weight, at a certain point your body will completely adapt to the load and muscle growth will stop. It is impossible to increase the intensity of training only by increasing the number of repetitions ad infinitum. In this way, you will move away from building mass towards developing endurance. All that remains is to come up with different variations with the range of motion and resort to supersets (a combination of different types of load without rest between them). But only a professional, and not a beginner practicing on his own, can create a competent training program taking into account such subtleties.

Exercises without weights and in terms of targeting certain areas of the shoulder muscles are limited. The deltoid muscle consists of 3 types of bundles:

the front one, responsible for moving the arms towards oneself and upward;
middle (lateral), allowing you to spread your arms to the sides;
posterior, responsible for abducting the arms behind the back.

Most bodyweight exercises work the front and side deltoids, while the rear deltoids are often neglected.

Training at home makes sense in two cases:

At the initial stage, when the body is completely untrained. Exercises with your own weight will tone your muscles, teach you to feel your own body and help you pump up a little.
In the absence of great ambitions, when it is enough to acquire at least some kind of sports form, without building powerful muscles.

It is effective to start your sports journey with home workouts, and when the load is not enough, you can already go to the gym.

Methods for developing correct posture in preschool children

Nutrition

At preschool age, all organs and systems are actively developing, including the musculoskeletal system. In order for a child’s posture to develop correctly, you need to take care of nutrition and physical activity.

A diet rich in all the necessary components is a very important point . The diet should have enough calcium, the sources of which are milk and dairy products, meat, cereals, as well as vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and minerals.

Nutrition occupies a special place in the formation of posture in a child. Pay attention to which foods contain high amounts of calcium

A well-thought-out routine is also important. It is useful for a child to walk in the fresh air, especially in sunny weather . The sun is the best source of vitamin D, which has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system. Outdoor games, running, walking are useful.

Physical exercise

A great way to both improve your preschooler’s mood and strengthen his back muscles is swimming and bathing . In addition, it is important not to allow the preschooler to remain in the same position on the computer or TV for a long time. When playing at the table, it is also important to control the position of your back and limbs.

Another important point is proper rest . Proper sleep helps muscles relax, promotes relaxation of the whole body and accumulation of strength for active pastime while awake.

Children under 7 years of age have high physical activity. It is important to allow them to move as much as possible . In kindergarten, children's physical activity is supported in various ways. In the morning, the body is awakened by ten minutes of gymnastics, then physical education classes, walks, and various outdoor games. Parents should maintain approximately the same motor volume on weekends, holidays, and during vacations.

Various exercises are used to correctly develop posture in preschool children.:

An excellent preventive measure is walking : normal, on your heels, on your toes, on the inside and outside of the foot, with stepping over obstacles. You can diversify it using orthopedic massage mats, rope, ribbed board.
Crawling also helps prevent poor posture . The child should be taught to crawl not only on all fours and moving forward, but also in reverse, zigzag, lying on his back or stomach and pushing off with his feet or hands
It is useful to use the wall bars - climbing helps strengthen the muscular corset and at the same time promotes the development of clear coordination of movements.
Running , which kids love very much, is useful. You can run on your toes, with obstacles, with a snake, or combine different options.
To strengthen the skill of maintaining correct posture, you can do the following static exercise: you need to stand with your back to the wall, and at the same time touch it with the back of your head, shoulder blades, buttocks, heels and elbows. Fix your body, then move away, maintaining your posture, and return to check yourself.
Also useful are exercises in which the starting position is standing with correct posture against a wall , then you need to lift on your toes and lower, alternately bending your right and left leg at the knee. Fix the child's position against the wall by placing a sandbag on his head, he should walk around the room with it, come back and check whether the posture is preserved.
Children usually enjoy exercises with an orthopedic ball . They help work out different muscle groups. Support, constantly trying to elude the baby, will teach him to coordinate his efforts and maintain balance.
You can also use a simple rubber band . The child needs to take it in his hands and alternately pull it to the sides, and then take it in each hand separately. This helps strengthen and improve the endurance of the back and arm muscles.

Several effective exercises to strengthen the back in preschool children