You might think about aspects of your health throughout your day, such as your strength when you’re carrying groceries and your reflexes when you trip over an uneven step. However, your posture isn’t likely something you think about on a daily basis — until you start to feel the aches and pains that stem from poor posture.
Your posture refers to the natural positioning of your body as you sit, stand or move around. If you have poor posture, such as slumped shoulders, it can lead to back pain, balance difficulties and digestive problems. The good news is that there are exercises that physical therapists can recommend that may help reduce these issues.
5 exercises that a physical therapist may recommend to help your posture
Trying to improve your posture with targeted exercises can help you in more ways than one. Not only can they reduce current issues, such as persistent back pain or headaches, but they can also strengthen your muscles and boost your confidence. By performing exercises to help your posture now, you’re creating a lifestyle adjustment that can help you for years to come.
When you’re working to improve your posture, your physical therapist will likely recommend stretching and strengthening exercises that target your core, back and shoulder muscles as a way to improve your alignment. They can show you how to safely perform these exercises so that you can practice them between sessions and after your treatment is complete. They’ll let you know how many times to repeat each one.
Here are five physical therapist-recommended exercises that may improve your posture:
Glute bridges — Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. They should be about hip width apart and a foot away from your buttocks. Your knees should be bent and facing up. Rest your arms by your side. Slowly lift your hips from the floor until they’re aligned with your shoulders and knees. Hold the position for approximately one minute before returning to the starting position. Repeat as directed by your physical therapist.
Chest opener — Stand with your feet a hip distance apart. Bring both your arms behind your back and interlock your fingers while pressing your palms together. If your hands are having a difficult time touching, you can hold a towel with them. Lift and stretch your chest. Tilt your head back, keeping your gaze forward, and hold the position for approximately five deep breaths before returning to your starting position. Repeat as directed by your physical therapist.
Forward fold — Stand so that your heels are just slightly apart but your big toes are touching. Bend forward at the hips and reach your hands as close to the floor as possible, or place them on a foam exercise block. Slightly bend your knees to lengthen your spine. Tuck your chin into your chest and hold the pose for up to one minute, or as directed by your physical therapist, before standing up to the starting position.
Child’s pose — Sit down on your shins so that your knees are together and your heels are spread behind you. Bend at your hips while placing your hands flat on the floor so that your arms are extended in front of you. Your hips should be reaching backward toward your feet while your forehead is against the floor. Hold this pose for approximately five minutes while continuously taking deep breaths before relaxing.
Wall angels — Stand with your back against a wall with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your arms next to your head so that your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. The back of your elbows, forearms and wrists should be against the surface. While keeping them pressed against the wall, move your arms slowly up until they are extended. Repeat as directed by your physical therapist.
KC Rehab physical therapists can help improve your posture with the right exercises
At KC Rehab, our physical therapists can help you improve every aspect of your physical health, including your posture. We can not only guide you through effective exercises, but we can also help you learn lifestyle modifications that can help, such as ergonomic suggestions and recommendations for shoe inserts.
If your goal for physical therapy is to improve your posture, we’ll design a personalized treatment plan that can help you reach that goal in more ways than one. On top of targeted exercises, we can help you alleviate any issues that have come from your poor posture, such as musculoskeletal pain. We may also include exercises that can help many aspects related to your body positioning and movement, such as your gait, coordination and balance.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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