It is a known fact that most people sit for way too long. Not only that, but they tend to sit with bad posture…
The slouched shoulders, forward head posture, rounding of the back, or excessive arching of the low back.
Over time these bad postures cause aches and pains in your body. But the good news is that you can do simple exercises to improve your posture and manage your back pain.
The following posture exercises are arranged into 3 sections: Whole body posture exercises, Upper back/neck posture exercises, and lower back and core posture exercises. Please let us know in the comments below if these helped you.
* By the way, you may want to also check out these 4 exercises you can do at your desk.
Whole Body Posture Exercises (1-2):
The following 2 exercises are meant to decompress you spine.
Exercise #1: Decompression Using Standing Kitchen Sink
How to do it:
• Begin by finding a sturdy surface you can hold onto. I typically have my patients do this at the kitchen sink.
• While holding onto the surface, slowly lean back and completely straighten your elbows.
• At this point, you should be leaning all of your weight back behind you.
• Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds, take deep breaths, and try to relax into the position.
• Repeat 2-3x, as much as needed throughout the day.
Exercise #2: Cat & Cow (Use low range of motion)
The cat and cow is a great spine mobility exercise that you can do to help energize your low back muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin by kneeling on all fours with your hands positioned under your shoulders and your knees positioned directly below your hips.
– Exhale and arch your spine gently.
– Hold this position for 2 seconds.
– Inhale and tighten your core muscle while you round your back.
– Hold this position for 2 seconds.
– Aim for 10 repetitions.
Upper Back Posture Exercises (3-6):
These exercises are great for anyone experiencing bad upper back posture and/or pain.
Exercise #3: Doorway Stretch
Because the abs and chest get super tight during sitting, the doorway stretch will help loosen it up.
How to do it:
– Position your elbows and hands in line with a doorframe.
– Step through the door slowly, until you feel a stretch.
– Hold this end position for 15 to 20 seconds before returning to the starting position.
– Repeat this stretch 3 times.
Exercise #4: Upper Trapezius Stretch
How to do it:
– Begin in either a sitting or standing position and gently tilt your head to the left
– Grasp over the top of your head with your left hand to apply a mild force towards the left.
– Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
– Repeat on the opposite side.
– Aim for 3 repetitions of this stretch on each side.
Exercise #5: Neck Retraction (Chin tucks)
Targeted muscles: Upper cervical extensors and Suboccipital (Plus strengthening cervical flexors)
How to do it:
– Begin in either a standing or seated position.
– Align your chin so that it’s parallel to the floor.
– Pull your head backwards.
– Hold this retracted position for 15 to 20 seconds.
– Aim for 3 repetitions of this stretch.
Exercise #6: Rowing With Resistance Band
This exercise strengthens all of the major muscles of your back, including the Mid Trapezius and the Rhomboids which will help bring the shoulders back.
How to do it:
– Begin by wrapping your Theraband® around a stable piece of furniture. *if you don’t have a stable piece of furniture, you can wrap it around the bottom of your feet.
– Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and your knees slightly bent-
– Hold the ends of the Theraband with your palms facing each other and extend your arms straight to get into the starting position.
– Pull the ends of the Theraband® towards you as you bend your elbows and move them slightly behind your torso by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
*be sure to keep your arms close to your body and avoid leaning forwards or backwards.
– Stop pulling when your hands reach your torso.
– Hold this position briefly before returning to the starting position by straightening your arms.
– Aim for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Lower Back & Core Posture Exercises (7-10):
Exercise #7: Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
This stretch helps to lengthen tightened hip flexors that are often seen in individuals with anterior pelvic tilt.
How to do it:
– Begin this stretch by kneeling on a soft surface.
– Bring your right leg in front and place your foot flat on the ground so that your knee is positioned over your ankle.
– Your left knee should remain in contact with the soft surface and should be bent at 90 degrees.
– Slowly slide your right foot forward a few inches while bracing your core.
– Squeeze your right gluteal muscles and shift your hips forward.
– Your left knee should now be bent slightly more than 90 degrees.
– Hold the end position for 10 seconds.
– Aim for 10 repetitions of this stretch and perform it on both sides.
Exercise #8: Bird Dog
This is another great exercise to improve core strength and lumbar back muscles.
How to do it:
– Begin on your hands and knees with your hands positioned under your shoulders and knees positioned under your hips.
– Raise your left arm and reach it forwards until it is aligned with your torso; at the same time, kick your right leg backwards until is it aligned with your torso.
– Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.
– Repeat with your right arm and left leg.
– Alternate sides for 10 repetitions.
** Ensure that your head, neck, and back maintain a neutral alignment to minimize stress on your neck.
Exercise #9: Plank
This exercise is ideal for strengthening both your deep core and gluteul muscles.
How to do it:
Begin lying on your stomach with your forearms against the mat.
– Engage your core and lift your body so that you are resting on your forearms and toes.
– Hold the plank position for 10 seconds.
– Aim for 5 to 10 repetitions of this exercise.
– When you’re ready, increase the intensity by increasing the time you hold the plank in 10 second increments.
** Ensure to keep your back straight throughout the entire exercise.
Exercise #10: Lying Figure-4 Stretch (For Piriformis)
In the early stages of a disc bulge, your body’s natural response is to tighten up and protect the spine and buttocks area. Because of this, one of the the simplest things you can do yourself to relieve radiating back pain caused my a disc bulge is stretching piriformis muscle.
How to do it:
● Begin lying on your back with your knees bent and feet positioned flat on the floor
● Place your right ankle over your left knee
● Use your hands or a band to pull the left thigh towards your chest, and hold for 20 to 30 seconds
● Repeat on the other leg
● Aim for 3 repetitions on each side
2 More Important Things:
1. Add self massage techniques into your routine. By using a foam roller or massage ball, you can really dig into the specific muscles that may be too tight or overactive.
2. You need to be aware of your posture through out your day, so that you can fix your posture for the long term, and live a pain free life. Check out our 10 tips for proper sitting posture.
Related:
Fix Pain between shoulder blades
How to get rid of neck pain
forward head posture exercises
Causes of poor posture
Written by: Leon Turetsky
Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM-CES), Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), Professional dancer
As a long time back sufferer Leon found unique methods to alleviate his pain using natural methods including self massage, exercise/stretching and postural habits. He founded Backintelligence.com to empower others to ease their back pain from their homes.
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