Although you may think your posture’s fine, the modern lifestyles we lead today may suggest otherwise. Sitting in front of a computer for most of the day, lounging on the sofa binge-watching Netflix, and tilting your head as you scroll through your phone can all interfere with your postural muscles.

Having great posture isn’t all about looking good. Your muscles stop your bones and ligaments from becoming strained, stressed, and unaligned. Taking care of them helps you increase flexibility, strength, and balance in your body. The better shape your muscles are in, the fewer aches you’ll experience throughout the day and the more energy you’ll have.

Putting your body in an unnatural position for long periods of time can lead to the wear and tear of your spinal column. This can put you at a greater risk of serious injury, as well as leave you with general aches and pains in your day-to-day life.

Fortunately, bad posture isn’t something you have to suffer forever. Through special poses and stretches, you can improve your posture, reducing your risk of injury and helping yourself feel great every day.

7 poses to improve your posture

1. Child’s pose

This popular yoga pose lengthens and stretches your spine, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. It helps to relieve built-up tension in your neck and lower back.

2. Cat cow

Cat cow pose is designed to stretch and massage your spine. It’s a great way to lower tension in your shoulders, neck, and torso while also increasing your blood circulation for better overall health.

3. Standing cat cow

A traditional cat cow pose is done on all fours on the floor. If you find this uncomfortable, a modified standing cat cow may be a better option. This pose helps to relieve tightness in your glutes, hips, and back without putting a lot of pressure on your knees.

4. Downward facing dog

Downward facing dog is an excellent way of balancing out your body and boosting your energy. It aligns and strengthens your back muscles for better posture, while also relieving back pain. 

5. Forward fold

A simple yoga pose that almost anyone can do, forward fold stretches your back to release the tension in your spine, glutes, and hamstrings. It’s also a wonderful way to stretch your legs and hips. Each time you do it, you should be able to feel the entire backside of your body lengthening and opening up.

6. Pigeon pose

If you suffer from sciatica, pigeon pose may alleviate some of your pain and discomfort, while also improving your posture. This pose can help stretch your sciatic nerve, as well as quadriceps. It can also loosen up your glutes, hamstrings, and spine. Through stretching and opening up these key parts of your body, you’ll find it easier to notice and correct your posture in everyday life.

7. Glute squeeze

Glute squeezes are an excellent way to relieve lower back pain and fix bad posture. They help to activate and strengthen your glutes, resulting in the greater functioning and alignment of your pelvis and hips.

See a chiropractor

If you’ve tried the above stretches and poses at home to fix your bad posture but you’re not getting anywhere, you may need a helping hand. Contact us to schedule an appointment and one of our chiropractors will give you a full-body assessment and create a personalized plan to help you improve your posture. 

Through regular chiropractic sessions, small lifestyle changes, and corrective exercises you can do at home, you can develop a great posture that helps you look and feel fantastic. Our chiropractors have worked with many different patients with various issues. They’ve got the years of experience required to determine the individual treatment plan you need to improve your posture.

Extra benefits of improving your posture

As you develop a better posture, you’ll become increasingly aware of your muscles. This will make it easier to correct your posture when it’s not quite right. When you’re more aware of your body and muscles, it’s easier to notice imbalances and areas of tightness. This will help you determine whether you need to do a few stretches at home or make an appointment with your chiropractor.

How long does it take to correct posture?

While the above exercises will help fix bad posture, you’re not going to see changes overnight. If you practice the recommended poses every day, you can expect to get results in about four to six weeks. The more committed you are to stick with your exercise program, the faster and better results you’ll experience.

For the quickest results, we recommend making an appointment with your chiropractor. They can do a thorough examination of your spine and may be able to spot where the problem areas are faster than you can. Your chiropractor can suggest the best stretches for you to do at home and may be able to speed up your progress with general health and wellness advice.

How can I permanently straighten my posture?

There’s no real way to permanently improve your posture. Simple activities like crossing your legs or carrying a backpack can result in bad posture. The best ways to combat it are to make regular appointments with your chiropractor and to do the recommended stretches and poses at home. 

As the muscles that support your back grow stronger, it will be more difficult for them to become strained and unaligned. By regularly working toward developing stronger and more flexible muscles, you’ll avoid injuries and have more energy.