Beginning Exercise to Improve Posture

Poor posture is one of the leading causes of posterior pain – especially in the neck.  Have you ever been sitting at your desk hoping that someone would message your neck because it’s sore after a long day.  You’re not alone.  This post will address this by showing a beginning exercise to improve posture and in a lot of cases relieve that neck ache.  We as Americans do not get enough movement in our daily lives.  We sit at a computer desk, drive to work, things that allow our shoulders to droop forward.  This tightens our chest muscles and weakens our back muscles.  When the back muscles are weak and not working properly the neck muscles, particularly the upper trapezius, are overworked and you get a neck ache.

The middle trapezius is the main muscle that needs to be worked in order to pull the shoulders back and take the strain off the upper trapezius muscles.  The following beginning exercise to improve posture works on your body’s awareness of itself.  You can lie on the edge of your bed and let your left arm drop off the side.  Imagine there is a clock in the center of your back between your shoulder blades.  Slowly squeeze your left shoulder blade to the 3 o’clock position on the clock and hold for at least a count of 5 seconds.  If you feel a twitching sensation between your spine and your shoulder blade it means that the muscles are not sure what your are doing because they have not been in this position for a long time.  It’s a good feeling to have.  Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and repeat with the right arm only this time you’re going to squeeze to the 9 o’clock position.  This is one of the best beginning exercise to improve posture that I know.  Enjoy the neck relief after a couple of weeks.

For more exercise tips, visit our blog. For more ways to improve your posture, visit Stand Up Str8.