Incorrect posture goes far beyond physical appearance. It is directly linked to health problems such as pain in the lower back, back and neck, fatigue and even a herniated disc. It can be caused by both genetic factors and daily carelessness. However, there are some exercises that can improve body posture to promote quality of life and well-being.

Remember that good posture eliminates the famous back pain, improves digestion — because it decompresses the intestine — helps to better oxygenate the body and reduces the risk of spinal injuries. Physical activities are great allies and the results of an active and healthy life can be seen in everyday life.

Check out 6 exercises that help improve body posture and make all these benefits possible:

1. Yoga

One of the most effective activities to improve posture is, without a doubt, the practice of yoga. This modality is well known for stretching, postures that emphasize balance, perfect body alignment and breathing techniques to help create body awareness. This helps you pay attention to everyday life — you can correct your posture while sitting in the car, for example.

It is common to become tense after many hours in the same position and end up involuntarily pulling and tightening the muscles. Through breathing exercises and the postures practiced throughout the classes, it is possible to relax the body and relieve tension in muscles and joints.

This is good for decreasing back pain and allowing the body to align more naturally. In addition to improving posture, yoga practice promotes flexibility, improves body alignment, reduces stress, relieves joint pain, and increases body balance.

2. Pilates

With some yoga principles, pilates is also a great alternative for those who want to improve their posture. The method makes use of devices to help the student to perform the movements correctly, without injuring or demanding too much from the body.

Pilates helps to work the entire body structure and make it stronger, more balanced, flexible and capable of exercising in a natural and healthy way. By working all your limbs, you can improve posture and alignment in your feet, knees, and legs.

Toning muscles is also part of the list of benefits of practicing Pilates. By strengthening the diaphragm region, for example, it is possible to give more room for the lungs to breathe and, thus, increase the respiratory capacity and oxygenate the body in the best way.

Strengthening the back muscles provides support for the spine and makes it erect. In this way, incorrect postures that can cause pain and discomfort in the short and long term are avoided.

3. Bodybuilding

Movements that often go unnoticed and contribute to poor posture are performed correctly through weight training. To maximize results, it is necessary to perform all exercises accurately. Be sure to pay attention to alignment and especially posture. Remember, this goes beyond time spent at the gym.

When exercising frequently, the body starts to naturalize some of these movements and makes them part of everyday life. Sitting with the spine erect, distributing the weight of the body in a balanced way and paying attention to the position of the knees are just a few examples of habits that become common to bodybuilders.

Furthermore, the use of strength-gaining devices guarantees muscles and bones capable of supporting the body. For those with previous posture problems, it is possible to assemble sheets with sequences of exercises to correct this situation. After all, weight training is a popular physical activity precisely because it guarantees dynamics and personalized sequences.

4. Ballet – Let’s dance!

One of the most striking features of ballet is the perfect posture of the practitioners. This correction is associated not only with the beauty of the performances, but with the lightness of the movements and the strength of the body to execute them with mastery.

In addition, correct posture is essential for dancers to prevent injuries and pain. It is also directly related to the practitioners’ admirable alignment. That’s because good posture ensures a good distribution of body weight and alignment of all limbs.

For those who don’t like the classic type, there are different styles like ballet fitness, ballet flex, ballet fly and ballet pilates, for example. There are several lines to meet different tastes, but all with the guarantee of a better and healthy posture.

5. RPG

RPG stands for Global Postural Reeducation and is a modality increasingly offered by gyms throughout Brazil. As the name implies, this exercise aims to revitalize the muscles responsible for posture and improve their functioning as if it were re-educating the body and, consequently, posture.

Although the focus is on the back, it is a modality that seeks to work the body as a whole, promoting health and well-being, which can be felt every day.

It is a method that aims to prevent possible damage caused by incorrect posture, and also to maintain body health through sessions lasting an average of one hour each. More than just a physical activity, RPG is a physical therapy method.

6. Stretching

Most of the modalities mentioned above help to improve posture because they make use of stretching. Simple exercises can be tailored to your daily needs and can be done anywhere, including time sitting at work and waiting in lines, for example.

It is increasingly common to find gyms that offer exclusive stretching classes because of their valuable benefits to the body. They are responsible for decompressing the spine, relieving pain and loads concentrated in this region.

In addition, stretching increases flexibility by decompressing muscles, relieving joint tension, aligning the entire body, and helping to improve posture.

What exercises to do to improve body posture?

Now that you already know a series of modalities and practices, how about knowing some practical exercises to make your posture even better? Below are some effective stretches and strength exercises for your routine.

It is important to emphasize that they bring more concrete results when practiced with the help of a professional. Errors in execution can further damage your posture—and that’s not what you want, do you agree? So look for a gym near you!

Chest opening

Opening the chest is a classic exercise, as it is widely used in gyms and pilates studios. It helps to force the shoulders back and also open the chest.

It is generally recommended to fit the ends of a stick, or even a broomstick, between the two arms and the back. Once this is done, it is important to stay in this position for approximately 5 minutes. Make sure you do the exercise with the assistance of qualified professionals, ok?

Stretching close to the wall

If you have shoulders that are protruding, that is, slumped forward, this stretch can be very helpful for your body posture. To see if you fit this profile, keep your back to a wall. If your shoulders are away from her, you should do the indicated exercise.

To do this, keep your back against the wall and move your shoulders back, leaving the posture upright. Hold in this position for a few minutes.

Thoracic extension

Chest extension can be done in several ways. One of the most popular involves using a foam roller on the floor. To do this, you need to place the roller on the floor and position it in the middle of your back.

Then place your hands behind your head and bring your elbows together as far as you can. Push the roller up and down your back until you find the most painful spots. That done, drop your head to the ground and look up.

Y slope

This is a typical yoga class stretch. To do this, lie on your stomach, bring your feet together, and spread your arms with your palms down to form a position similar to the letter Y. Raise your torso, rotate your hands at the same time, so let your palms face each other. Don’t forget to align your head with your neck.

Cat position

This is another classic of yoga and Pilates sessions, in which students must rest their hands and knees on the floor, maintain the alignment of their wrists with their elbows, and their elbows with their shoulders in a four-handed position. The idea is to flex and extend the spine.

Curved stroke

The curved stroke is done using a bar. It is necessary to hold it with both hands and lean your torso forward, with your knees slightly bent. Be careful, as this move requires a lot of technique to execute correctly.

Exercise to improve body posture is essential to ensure the body’s physical health and promote well-being every day. Incorrect posture can trigger many problems. By choosing to practice physical activities, it is possible to prevent them and maintain their quality of life. Remember to eat healthy before and after your workout to optimize your results.

Now that you know which exercises can improve posture, leave a comment here in the post with your questions and opinions! I’d love to hear from you 🙂