Best Exercises for Better Posture
Dec 25, 2024
Slouching on the couch, hunching over your phone or laptop, sleeping in awkward positions, and overstretching while reaching for something can all throw your posture out of whack. The good news is that, with some work, you can correct your posture and eliminate those annoying aches and pains. This article will introduce you to practical posture exercises for better posture that can improve your spinal health, reduce back pain, and help you achieve your goals.
Posture AI's app can help you reach your posture goals even faster by giving you personalized exercise plans based on your unique needs. The app offers simple exercises for better posture that fit easily into your daily routine.
Table of Contents
Can You Correct Years of Bad Posture?
Busting Myths About Posture Correction
People often think they can't correct poor posture because it has developed over many years. The truth is that the body is adaptable and can respond positively to consistent effort over time. So, even if you’ve had rounded shoulders and a hunched stance for years, there’s a good chance you can still stand up taller.
"It's not as hard as you may think. Better posture is often just a matter of changing your activities and strengthening your muscles," says Saloni Doshi, a Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital physical therapist.
What Causes Posture Problems?
Poor posture often results from modern-day habits like working in front of a computer, slouching on a couch while watching TV, or looking down at a smartphone. It could also be caused by spending many hours carrying heavy objects (such as work equipment, grocery bags, or a heavy purse). These activities can cause you to stoop or bring your shoulders forward.
"This overstretches and weakens the muscles in the back of your shoulders and shortens the muscles in the front of your shoulders and your chest. Gravity then pulls the muscles forward because the muscles are too weak to pull them back up," Doshi explains. If the core muscles in your back and abdomen have grown weak from inactivity, that can also cause you to lean forward. Those muscles are crucial to lifting your frame and keeping you upright.
Dowager's Hump
Another cause of poor posture comes from broken bones in your back. People with brittle bones (osteoporosis) may experience compression fractures when the bones in the back (vertebrae) aren't strong enough to support the load placed on them. The bone collapses on the front side, the part closest to the chest. As collapsed vertebrae stack up, the spine becomes rounded and bends forward, a condition called dowager's hump (dorsal kyphosis).
Poor Posture Consequences
"Sometimes people ask, 'Why should I change my posture? I don't mind it.' But one of the big things that happens with forward posture is that your center of gravity goes forward. This increases the risk of falling," Doshi says. Poor posture can also cause back or neck pain, headaches, trouble breathing, or difficulty walking. "Back and neck pain seem to be the most common," Doshi says.
Perk Up Your Posture
If you have a spinal cord injury or you've had surgery to fuse or remove bones in your back, there may be some limitations to your posture improvement. Otherwise, Doshi says, it's usually not too late to correct posture, even if you've had broken vertebrae (once they've healed and your doctor says it's okay). "In that case, we'd try to prevent fractures in other segments of your back," she says. "We can't change bones, but we can change muscle mass."
The key to fixing poor posture is strengthening and stretching the upper back, chest, and core muscles. You'll also have to work on your posture in everyday activities. A simple trick when sitting (even watching TV): "Put a rolled towel behind your shoulders. It makes you sit up straight so the towel won't fall," Doshi suggests. Cut down on activities that have led to poor posture, too. Take breaks from computer and TV time, and exercise more. "In six to 12 weeks," says Doshi, "you'll see an improvement in your posture."
How to Improve Your Posture With Exercise
You must first pinpoint what’s causing any issues to improve your posture using exercise. “Understanding how we arrived at our habitual postures is important for deciding which exercises or movements might help,” explains Chris Gagliardi, CSCS, an American Council on Exercise expert. Because lousy posture is often caused by muscle weakness, tightness, or imbalance, the best way to improve posture is to combine strengthening and stretching.
Together, improving the strength and endurance of postural muscles and encouraging length in tight ones can help reestablish the proper relationships between opposing muscles, Gagliardi says. “You’re looking to align the body so that your joints can move freely in all the directions they’re intended to move and restore balance to your muscles so the tension they create is equal and opposite.” Workouts that combine strengthening and stretching (like yoga, Pilates, and mobility) can help encourage this balance, too. You’ll probably recognize some of the exercises below from these types of classes.
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25 Best Exercises for Better Posture
Exercise can help you correct and maintain good posture. Posture exercises target key muscle groups, including the core, back, shoulders, and neck. These muscle-focused movements strengthen weak areas, promote balance, and improve alignment.
Incorporate posture exercises into your fitness routine to relieve pain associated with poor posture and improve overall function. You can also use them as warmups before activities that require repetitive motions or extended periods of sitting to prepare your body for movement.
1. Improving Posture with Quadruped Chin Tuck with Scapular Push-up
He says this posture exercise helps strengthen the deep neck stabilizers and serratus anterior, which tend to weaken when one sits with forward-rounded shoulders.
Start on your hands and knees in a quadruped position.
Tuck your chin slightly to lengthen the back of your neck. Your head should be in line with your shoulders.
Lower your chest between your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Keep your core engaged, and try not to let your ribs flare open or your lower back arch.
Press into your palms as if trying to push the floor away. Allow your upper back to lift and your shoulders to round.
Repeat for 10-30 seconds.
Do 3-5 sets.
Muscles worked:
Deep neck stabilizers
Serratus anterior (a fan-shaped muscle that lies along the ribs, under the shoulder blade)
2. Improving Posture with Seated Band Pull-Apart
Dorian says this move combines upper-body and lower-body postural work. You retract your shoulder blades using your rhomboids and middle trapezius while being aware of your core. Avoid allowing your ribs to flare open or arch your lower back. Focus on keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips.
Sit on a chair or bench with your feet flat on the floor.
Hold a long resistance band at belly button height in both hands with your arms extended but not locked.
Keeping your arms long, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your hands out to your sides until they align with your shoulders.
Slowly reverse the movement, drawing your hands together before your torso.
That’s one rep. Do two to three sets of 15-20 reps.
Muscles worked:
Upper back muscles (rhomboids and middle traps)
3. Improving Posture with Dead Bug Variation
This move asks you to find a neutral position with the lower back, stabilize your core, and strengthen your hip flexors. This is a common misconception: We feel tightness and stiffness in the hip flexors and think we just need to stretch.
Even so, the hip flexors are essential in movement strength and power production, and it's just necessary to have the strength and length of the hip flexors.
Lie face-up on the floor with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your knees bent at 90 degrees, feet lifted off the ground, and shins parallel to the floor.
Press the right palm into the left thigh.
Hold this position, extend your right leg, and reach your left arm by ear, hovering both off the floor.
Keep your core engaged, and don’t let your lower back arch off the ground.
Bring your arm and leg back to the center to return to start. Do 10-15 reps, then repeat on the other side.
Do 2-3 sets.
Muscles worked:
Hip flexors
Core
4. Improving Posture with Single-leg Glute Bridge with Knee Drive
This move translates to standing posture, asking your gluteus maximus to extend your hip and hold your body upright. At the same time, you’re working the hip flexor mobility on the opposite side.
Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Engage your core, tucking your hips under just slightly, and place your weight into the right heel.
Press into your right heel to lift your hips off the ground into a glute bridge.
Keeping your left knee bent at 90 degrees, draw your left knee toward your chest.
Press your right hand into your left thigh and maintain tension, pushing your knee into your hand and your hand into your knee.
Hold this position for 10-30 seconds, trying not to let your hips tilt side to side or back arch.
Repeat on the other side.
Do two to three sets.
Muscles worked:
Glutes
Hip flexors
Hamstrings
Core
5. Improving Posture with Plank
Planks are great for core and shoulder strength and promote a neutral spine. Modify by resting your knees on the floor to ensure the correct form.
Start on your hands and knees, with your palms directly underneath your shoulders.
Extend each leg, balancing on the balls of your feet, and lift your knees off the floor to find a plank position.
Keep your neck long, shoulder blades squeezing together, and core engaged.
Do not let your upper back round toward the ceiling or your hips drop toward the floor.
Hold this position for 15-30 seconds.
Muscles worked:
Core
Shoulders
Back
Glutes
Quads
6. Improving Posture with Bird-Dog
This posture exercise improves core stability and spinal alignment while stretching the hips and back.
Start on your hands and knees, with your palms on the floor directly underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips.
Engage your core to find a neutral spine. Maintaining this position, lift your right hand off the floor and extend your arm forward at shoulder height, bicep next to your ear.
At the same time, extend your left leg back behind you at hip height, flexing your foot and pointing your knee down at the floor.
Hold for one second, then return your hand and foot to the floor.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Do eight reps.
Muscles worked
Upper back
Lower back
Core
Glutes
7. Improving Posture with Superman
The classic Superman exercise strengthens back muscles and counteracts slouching.
Lay face-down on the floor with your arms and legs outstretched.
Keep your neck long and allow your forehead to rest on the floor.
Keeping your gaze on the floor, lift your arms and legs a few inches.
Hold for one second, then lower them to the floor.
That’s one rep.
Do eight reps.
Muscles worked:
Upper back
Lower back
Core
Glutes
Hamstrings
8. Improving Posture with Prone IYTWO Series
This series of moves focuses on scapular stabilization, helping to counteract the common postural issue of forward-rounded shoulders.
Lie face-down on the floor with your arms and legs extended, palms facing each other.
Engage your core to stabilize your spine.
Pull your shoulders back and down and keep your neck long, gazing at the floor.
Hold this position.
I Formation
Exhale and lift your arms off the floor with palms facing inward, biceps by your ears. Focus on lifting through your shoulders and not the lower back.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
Y Formation
From the same starting position, exhale and lift your arms off the floor, moving them slightly outward so your body forms a Y shape with palms facing inward.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
T Formation
From the same starting position, exhale and lift your arms off the floor, moving them out to the sides so your body forms a T shape, with your palms facing forward.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
W Formation
From the same starting position, exhale and lift your arms off the floor, bending your elbows and drawing them towards your hips to form a W shape.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
O Formation
Move your arms down to your sides from the same starting position.
Exhale and elevate your shoulders, then reach both arms behind your lower back, bending your elbows inward to overlap your hands into an O shape.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
Muscles worked:
Upper back
Shoulders
9. Improving Posture with Neck Stretch
These stretches help relax tight muscles around your neck and upper back.
Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, your core engaged, and your shoulders pulled down and back.
Slowly draw your right ear toward your right shoulder, stopping when you feel a stretch.
Bring your right hand to the top of your head and gently apply pressure with your fingertips to increase the stretch.
Hold for 5-10 seconds. Slowly return to the starting position, then repeat on the left side.
Do two to four reps.
Slowly drop your chin toward your chest without rounding your upper back.
Hold for 15-30 seconds and return to the starting position. Then, slowly relax your head backward, bringing your chip up toward the ceiling.
Keep your shoulders relaxed.
Hold for 5-10 seconds and return to the starting position.
Do two to four reps.
Muscles worked:
Neck
Upper back
10. Improving Posture with Leg Crossover Stretch
This stretch targets tight hips and glutes and helps release the lower back.
Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder level, palms facing upwards.
Cross your right leg over the left, resting your right ankle on the left knee.
Slowly press the right knee away from your body to feel a stretch in your right hip, using your right hand if needed.
Hold this position for a moment, then slowly rotate your hips to the left, bringing the bottom of the right foot to rest on the floor.
Avoid turning your upper body or arching your back.
Hold this position for 15-30 seconds.
Do two to four reps, then repeat on the other side.
Muscles worked:
Glutes
Hips
Quads
Lower back
11. Improving Posture with Supine Hamstrings Stretch
This exercise stretches the hamstrings, the muscle along the back of the thigh.
Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor; arms stretched out to the sides with your palms facing up.
Extend the right leg toward the ceiling.
Contract your quads while flexing your toes towards your body so you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and calves.
Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, then relax.
Do two to four reps, then repeat on the other side.
Muscles worked:
Hamstrings
12. Improving Posture with Kneeling Hip-flexor Stretch
This hip-flexor stretch can help counteract the muscle-shortening that happens with long periods of sitting.
Start in a half-kneeling position with your right leg bent at 90 degrees, your right foot flat on the floor, and your left knee on the floor, directly under the left hip.
Place your hands on the right thigh, and find a tall spine with your core engaged.
Gently lean forward into your right hip to feel a stretch in the left side hip flexor.
Don’t allow your back to arch or pelvis to tilt forward.
To increase the stretch, squeeze and contract the glute muscles on your left side.
Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds. Do 2-5 reps, then repeat on the other side.
Muscles worked:
Hip flexors
Quads
13. Improving Posture with Child’s Pose
The child’s pose stretches and lengthens your spine, glutes, and hamstrings. It may also release tension in your lower back and neck. To do this pose:
Sit on your shins with your knees together, your big toes touching, and your heels splayed to the side
Fold forward at your hips and walk your hands out before you.
Sink your hips back down toward your feet.
If your thighs won’t go down, place a pillow or folded blanket under them for support.
Place your forehead on the floor or turn your head to one side.
Keep your arms extended or rest them along your body.
Breathe deeply into the back of your rib cage and waist.
Relax in this pose for up to 5 minutes while breathing deeply.
14. Improving Posture with Forward fold
This standing stretch releases tension in your spine, glutes, and hamstrings. It also stretches your hips and legs. To do this pose:
Stand with your big toes touching and your heels slightly apart
Bring your hands to your hips and fold forward at your hips.
Release your hands toward the floor or place them on a block. Don’t worry if your hands don’t touch the ground — just go as far as possible.
Bend your knees slightly, soften your hips, and allow your spine to lengthen.
Tuck your chin into your chest and allow your head to fall heavy to the floor.
Remain in this pose for up to 1 minute.
15. Improving Posture with Cat-Cow
Cat-cow pose helps relieve tension in your torso, shoulders, and neck while promoting blood circulation and spinal mobility. To do this pose:
Come onto your hands and knees with your weight balanced evenly between all four points.
Inhale to look up, dropping your abdomen toward the ground as you extend your spine.
Exhale, arch your spine toward the ceiling, and tuck your chin into your chest.
Continue this movement for at least 1 minute.
16. Improving Posture with Standing Cat-Cow
A variation on the standard cat-cow, this standing posture helps loosen up the tightness in your back, hips, and glutes. To do this pose:
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart with a slight knee bend.
Extend your hands in front of you or place them on your thighs.
Lengthen your neck, bring your
Chin toward your chest and round your spine.
Then, look up, lift your chest, and move your spine in the opposite direction.
Hold each position for five breaths at a time.
Continue this movement for a few minutes.
17. Improving Posture with Pigeon Pose
This hip-opening posture can also loosen up your spine, hamstrings, and glutes. To do this pose:
Come down on all fours with your knees below your hips and your hands a little bit in front of your shoulders.
Bend your right knee and place it behind your right wrist with your right foot angled to the left.
Rest the outside of your right shin on the floor.
Slide your left leg back, straighten your knee, and rest your thigh on the floor.
Ensure your left leg extends straight back (not to the side).
Slowly lower your torso to rest on your inner right thigh with your arms extended.
Hold this position for up to 1 minute.
Slowly release the position by moving your hands toward your hips and lifting your torso.
Repeat on the opposite side.
18. Improving Posture with Glute bridge
Glute bridges help strengthen and activate your glutes while relieving lower back pain. This improves the functioning and alignment of your hips and pelvis, leading to better posture. To do this exercise:
Lie on your back, your knees bent, and your feet about hip-distance apart
Keep your feet about a foot away from your hips.
Rest your arms alongside your body with your palms facing down.
Exhale as you lift your hips toward the sky, straightening your spine.
Hold this position for up to 1 minute at a time.
19. Improving Posture with Isometric pulls
Isometric pulls work your shoulder, arm, and back muscles, giving you the strength to maintain good posture. To do this exercise:
Sit in a chair with a soft back.
Make a fist with each hand and extend your arms in front of you so that they’re parallel to the floor.
Exhale as you draw your elbows back toward your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Breathe deeply as you hold this position for 10 seconds.
On an inhale, slowly release to the starting position.
Repeat this movement for 1 minute.
20. Improving Posture with Core Stabilizer: Single Leg Extension
This move trains your core muscles to work together to stabilize your pelvis.
Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands behind your head. Press your lower back into the floor, and curl your head off the floor.
The Move: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in toward your spine. Slowly pull one knee into your chest, keeping your lower back pressed to the floor while extending your other leg straight at about a 45-degree angle off the floor. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your lower back on the floor. If your lower back arches off the floor, lift your leg toward the ceiling. Switch legs. Start with five to 10 extensions on each side.
Increase the Intensity: Pull both knees into your chest, then extend both legs straight at about a 45-degree angle, using your core to keep your low back on the floor. Or, as you extend your legs, extend both arms overhead, reaching in the opposite direction from your legs.
21. Improving Posture with The New Crunch
Also called a curl-up, this exercise works the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle) and obliques (which run diagonally around your waist and rotate your torso).
Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor. Place your hands behind your head or reach your arms toward your knees if it doesn't create too much tension in your neck.
The Move: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in toward your spine. Slowly lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then slowly lower back down. Repeat ten times.
Increase the Intensity: Extend one leg straight at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling. Alternatively, hold both legs off the floor, knees bent, with your shins parallel to the floor.
22. Improving Posture with Crossover
This exercise works all the core muscles, focusing on the obliques.
Starting Position: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, your knees bent, and your feet off the floor. Keep your low back pressed into the floor.
The Move: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in toward your spine. Pull one knee into your chest while extending your other leg straight and rotating your torso toward the bent knee. Slowly switch legs, pulling the other knee into your chest and rotating your torso toward it while extending the opposite leg off the floor. Repeat five to ten times, adding more as your core strengthens.
Increase the Intensity: The closer your straight leg is to the floor, the more complex the work for your core. Extending your leg just inches off the floor ensures your lower back stays on the floor.
23. Improving Posture with Cobra Pose: Back Extension
This move strengthens the erector spinae (the back muscles that extend your spine and prevent slouching) and other lower back muscles.
Starting position: Lie on your stomach with arms at your side and palms flat on the floor. Extend your legs straight behind you, and press the tops of your feet into the floor.
The move: Exhale strongly and pull your abdominal muscles in and up toward your spine. Lengthen through your spine and slowly raise your head and chest off the floor, using only your back muscles. Do not push down into your arms to press up. Keep your hip bones on the floor, and gaze down at the floor to relax your neck muscles. Slowly lower back down. Repeat three to five times, adding more as your lower back strengthens.
Increase the intensity: Reach your arms long beside your head. Keep your elbows straight.
24. Improving Posture with Chin Tucks
Your head should be aligned above your spine. Chin tucks will strengthen your neck muscles and flexibility.
Exercise can be performed standing or sitting. Look straight ahead so that your chin is parallel to the floor.
Place your finger on your chin.
Pull your head backward until you feel a stretch. Hold the position for 15 to 20 seconds.
Repeat 3 times.
25. Improving Posture with Half Cobra Pose
The half-cobra pose stretches the lower back muscles.
Lay on your stomach. Prop yourself up on your elbows.
Keep your hips against the floor. Hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds.
Repeat 10 times.
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• Physical Therapy for Posture
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