Do these exercises for better posture
What's the story
We all know how effective African core workouts are to improve posture and strengthen the whole body.
The ancient traditional exercises focus on building a strong core, which is the key to a good posture.
Incorporating these workouts into your routine can help you with your balance and stability and also keep back pain at bay.
Here are five African-inspired core exercises for better posture.
Stability boost
Plank variations
Plank variations are a mainstay in most African workouts owing to their capacity to work multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
By maintaining a plank position with minor adjustments, like lifting a leg or arm, you put your core muscles to a greater test.
This not only strengthens the abs but also stabilizes the shoulders and improves your overall body alignment.
Core engagement
Hip bridge exercise
The hip bridge exercise not only activates your glutes and lower back muscles but also engages your core.
Lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground, lift your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes.
This helps in strengthening the posterior chain of muscles, resulting in supporting a better posture by aligning your spine correctly.
Dynamic movement
Bicycle crunches
Bicycle crunches provide a dynamic way to work out the obliques, and other parts of the core.
Lying on your back with hands behind your head, bring opposite elbow to knee in a pedaling motion.
This exercise mimics cycling movements and improves rotational strength, adding significantly to better spinal alignment and posture.
Lateral strengthening
Side plank holds
Side plank holds target lateral muscle groups that are often neglected but crucial for maintaining an upright posture.
By balancing on one forearm with legs stacked or staggered, this exercise strengthens obliques as well as shoulders and hips.
Regular practice can lead to better side-to-side stability and support proper spinal curvature.
Rotational power
Seated Russian twists
Seated Russian twists focus on developing rotational power through controlled twisting motions from side to side while seated.
Keep your feet elevated off ground level if possible; otherwise, keep them grounded initially.
Progress further over time, gradually increasing the difficulty level based on individual capability levels achieved so far.
Conduct training sessions regularly without fail.