These exercises can fix your posture
What's the story
Having a strong upper back is key to good posture and health.
Most of us suffer from poor posture, thanks to the long hours of sitting or lifting things the wrong way.
Doing certain exercises regularly can strengthen the upper back muscles, leading to better posture and less pain.
Here are five of the best exercises you can do for your upper back, to gain strength and stay aligned.
Rowing motion
Bent-over rows
Bent-over rows are an excellent exercise to target your upper back muscles.
To do this, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, bend slightly at the knees, and lean forward at the hips with your back straight.
Hold a weight in each hand with palms facing downwards.
Pull the weights towards your torso by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
This strengthens the rhomboids and trapezius muscles.
Cable exercise
Face pulls
Face pulls are done with a cable machine or resistance bands secured at head height.
Standing in front of the machine or anchor point, with feet hip-width apart, hold the handles in both hands with an overhand grip and pull them towards your face keeping elbows high and wide.
This exercise hits the rear deltoids and upper traps, leading to improved shoulder stability and posture.
Isolation movement
Reverse flyes
Reverse flyes target the upper back muscles without bringing other muscles into play.
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding weights on either side.
Bend slightly at hips keeping the spine straight.
Let the arms hang down before raising them to the sides till shoulder height.
Keeping elbows slightly bent throughout the motion strengthens posterior deltoids effectively.
Bodyweight strengthener
Superman exercise
The superman exercise is a simple, yet effective bodyweight movement that targets multiple areas of your posterior chain (including the lower back and glutes, too!).
Lie face down on a mat extending arms overhead; simultaneously lift both legs off the ground along with the chest as high as possible without straining the neck area—hold the position briefly before lowering again.
Repeating several times per set ensures balanced development across the entire backside region.
Multi-angle approach
T-Y-I raises
T-Y-I exercises combine three movements in one session, hitting different parts of the upper back effectively.
Start lying prone on a bench or floor, extend arms to make a "T," lift them, pause, and lower.
Repeat in "Y" and finally "I" shapes.
This cycle improves scapular stability and postural alignment excellently.