It is important to maintain good posture. Good posture includes the way we sit stand and walk, it affects our health and mood.
Good posture means training the body to stand, sit, lie, or walk in positions that will not over strain the muscles and ligaments during movement or rigorous activities.
While we focus on posture during activities like weight lifting and strength training it is just as important to think about it in our daily routine. Stretching is crucial for flexibility range of motion and injury prevention. Stretching can help to loosen the tight muscles that may be affecting your posture negatively.
Here are 3 stretches that can help promote good posture:
Chest Stretch:
This can be done standing sitting or with the assistance of a wall or door frame. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Raise your arms to shoulder height (like a cactus). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly lower your elbows down like you are trying to place them in your back pocket. Intensify this stretch by placing your hands on the frame of a door and leaning slightly forward. This stretch can be beneficial if you are sitting at a desk or stationary work where you are hunched over.
Cat-Cow pose:
From a table top position on the ground, move the spine from a rounded position to an arched one. This stretch helps to prevent back pain and maintain a healthy spine. This stretch is very good for people who sit for a very long time. It improves spinal proximity and stamina strength. The stretch helps to keep the spine warm, relieves back pain and neck tension after a long day.
Lizard Pose:
Begin in a table top position, bring 1 leg forward and place your foot to the outside of the hand on the same side. Lengthen the back leg long and straight, keeping your hips square to the floor. Keep the shoulder stacked above the wrist or come down to your forearms with your shoulders over the elbows to intensify this stretch. Lizard pose is beneficial for tight hips that come from prolonged sitting and will help with standing and waling postures.
