You're 10-minutes away from better posture!
Think about how much of your day is spent looking at a screen. You’re probably reading this on your phone, neck tilted down and shoulders slightly hunched forward. Am I right? Even if you’re on a desktop or laptop, your head is most likely still facing down, chin slightly tucked in toward your chest. Add that to constantly sitting all day at work, in a car, or at home on the couch, and your entire spine is constantly under strain. You may not feel it immediately, or you may notice discomfort in other areas of your body and think they’re unrelated. They’re not. All of these things will eventually negatively impact your posture, as your shoulders slowly start to roll forward day by day. We’re here to fix that. This 10-minute back routine to help improve posture offers five exercises to help realign your spine and strengthen your back muscles.
10-Minute Back Routine to Help Improve Posture
Your body is meant to be centered and balanced. Consider elderly people who have kyphosis (hunched backs) or who walk with their entire spine curved over. In many cases, they weren’t born that way. Lifestyle choices and habits gradually crept up on them until it was too late. Well, it’s not too late for you.
Realistically, you’re not going to give up your phones or your sitting. If you’re reading this, it means you’re physically active and also proactive when it comes to your health. So, all that you need to do is invest a few minutes a day in this back routine for better posture!
The Workout
For this workout, you’ll need a set of light to medium dumbbells (5+ lbs), yoga mat, and interval timer which most phones already have.
Perform each exercise for 45 seconds. Complete two rounds, resting for one minute in between rounds and you’re all set. Perform this back workout 3-4 times a week to improve your posture. Better yet, perform it in the early morning to warm your body up, and perform it at night before bed to help realign and readjust from all the straining during the day.
- Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: One of my favorite back exercises. Grab medium dumbbells, keep your core tight as you lean over and squeeze your back muscles together as your arms peak.
- Bridge: Keep your core tight and use steady motions to lift your hips up and down.
- Renegade Rows: Another favorite exercise that combines planks with dumbbell rows. Use light to medium dumbbells.
- Cobra Pose: This yoga pose is great for realignment. There’s no need to do the full transition from downward dog. Start on the floor and work your way up. Hold for 4-5 seconds and repeat until the 45 seconds are up.
- Side Plank with Rear Fly: Another plank variation with weighted resistance to tone and build your back. Perform on one side than transition into the other side.
Instructional Videos
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Bridge
Renegade Rows
Cobra Pose
Side Plank with Rear Fly
Working on your chest is just as important as this back routine if you want to improve your posture. Try this Awesome Back and Chest Workout and hit both muscle groups at once.
