A simple hack to improve your posture
What's the story
Maintaining a good posture is important for your health and well-being.
Considering most of us spend hours sitting at our desks, it's important we add exercises to strengthen our back and improve our posture.
These chair exercises can be easily done from the comfort of your office or home, relieving back pain and improving your posture over time.
Here are five effective chair exercises to strengthen your back muscles and ensure better posture.
Stretch 1
Seated forward bend
The seated forward bend is a simple exercise that stretches the spine and relieves tension in the lower back.
Sit at the edge of your chair with feet flat on the floor.
Slowly bend forward from your hips, reaching towards your toes with your hands while keeping your back straight.
Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to an upright position.
This exercise can increase flexibility in the spine and reduce stiffness.
Stretch 2
Chair twist
The chair twist targets the muscles along the spine, promoting flexibility and strength.
Just sit upright with feet flat on the ground. Place one hand on the opposite knee while twisting your torso gently towards that side, holding onto the back of the chair with the other for support.
Hold for a few seconds before switching sides. Improves spinal mobility, encourages proper alignment.
Stretch 3
Seated cat-cow stretch
The seated cat-cow stretch is a modified version of a popular yoga pose that improves spinal flexibility and strengthens core muscles.
Start by sitting tall with hands on knees.
Inhale deeply as you arch your back, lifting your chest up (cow pose).
Exhale as you round your shoulders forward (cat pose).
Repeat a few times to encourage fluid movement in vertebrae while keeping your abs engaged.
Strengthen 1
Shoulder blade squeeze
This exercise strengthens upper back muscles, which is critical for maintaining good posture while typing or driving.
Simply sit straight, press shoulder blades together against a supportive surface, hold for a while, and release.
Repeat for multiple repetitions.
Do this regularly and you'll see improvements in weeks, based on your individual circumstances.
Strengthen 2
Seated leg lifts
Seated leg lifts are good not just because they engage core stabilizers but also because they help avoid injuries.
Everyday tasks require coordination between different muscle groups working together seamlessly under pressure situations arise unexpectedly, sometimes catching us off guard, unprepared otherwise.
This leads to potential injuries occurring unnecessarily, avoidable altogether. Just by incorporating a routine regimen like this into a daily schedule.