Keep up with a bad habit long enough, and it might become a permanent part of you. A bad posture is the best example of that mistake that we make in our daily lives.
Sitting on work desks, working on computer screens, even as we study, we tend to bend our shoulders to get on top of things. It might seem like nothing is happening there, but our body tends to assume that shape all the time after a point. It feels like we are leaning onto something even as we sit upright. In that position, we have to force our heads up rather than the body supporting it, which makes it worse for our torso.
This habit might take a couple of weeks or months to settle in unconsciously but takes a lot of deliberate effort to get it out of your system. Most people hit the gym with the intent to brush it off, using the help of a professional and some equipment. Others visit expensive doctors complaining about the pain and discomfort they feel while working and hope for some medication to work. Either way, they struggle with this problem as they try out different alternatives to overcome it.
Fortunately, all you need to do is acknowledge that the damage isn't permanent. Sure, it will take some time to reverse it, but you can do it through different means. The easy way is to get a posture corrector and wear it every day until you notice it not to be a problem anymore. It's a strap belt that you can put on under your vest or shirt so you can wear it wherever you go. It has no side-effects and comes for people of all ages. That makes it an ideal solution to correct your posture effortlessly.
However, if that's not the option you prefer, then there are several home exercises to fix it for you in the name of your good health and fitness. Here is a handful of them that might help straighten out your back if you keep them up every day.
Get into a plank or pushup position and start moving your feet close to your hands. Keep moving them close till your chest touches your thighs. Once your legs are upright, push your heels apart from each other and take hold of your ankles.
Make sure that your chin is tuck into your chest so that your head falls to the floor. That also exerts some pressure on the end of your spine from the hip to lengthen it. Maintain this pose for about a minute every day to release tension from your hamstrings, spine, and glutes. Soon you will fell your entire back opening up and stretching out as you try to sit upright.
Most people don't understand how planks work, but they are one of the most effective exercises that you can perform without equipment. Get on all four of your limbs, raise your hips and heels, and let the entire body's weight rest onto them. Keep your neck in line with the position that you assume.
Ensure that your body gets stretched as you do this, with your chest pushed out and shoulders pushed back for the best results. It will engage your arms, legs, and abdominal muscles to get rid of any pain and stiffness in the body. Try to hold this for at least one minute every day.
Additionally, you have the option to try some variations of this exercise to take things up a notch. Side planks can also be wondrous for your neck muscles, hip, and spine if you wish to do a more focused workout. Plus, they are great for balance and strength.
Lie down on the mat on either side of your body. Bend the knee that's not touching the ground to the height of your hip. Next, stretch both your arms out wide to get them in line with your sight. Once in this position, move the outwards arm up and behind your head to do a 180-degree rotation. Make sure that exhale while moving your arms, give a pause to breathe once with the stretched out, and then return to the relaxed position. Perform this 5 to 10 times on either side of the body to open up the muscles and increase mobility.
A chest opener is a considerably easy exercise, but it's the pauses that make the difference. Stand with your feet hips-width wide, chest pushed out, and face upright. Take your hands behind your back and grip both of them with the fingers interlaced. If you can't clench them together, then you can use a rod or towel to help you fill the gap. Now, you are in the perfect position for your chest openers.
Inhale, push your chest up, and hands down towards the ground. Continue the position for five breaths and then get back into a relaxed state. You can also bend down with your arms straight up towards the ceiling and torso parallel to the ground. That will help stretch your muscles and bones and release any built-up tension. Plus, it's also great to get a better standing posture.
Cat cow is another effective exercise to correct your posture, relieve the tension in joints, and improve blood circulation. Get onto all four of your limbs and place the knees on the ground. Exhale, bend your back up towards the ceiling, and chin tuck into your chest. Inhale as you drop your abdomen, push out your chest, and raise your head upwards.
Alternatively, you can perform this exercise while standing. That will further help loosen the tightness in your back and hips and lengthen your spine. You can do this for 5 to 10 breaths or arbitrarily for a couple of minutes to get optimum results out of it. That should help fix your posture and get you into an upright position throughout the day.
These were the five home exercises to fix your posture and get into an upright shape. Once you get used to them, then move onto the next levels and work on strengthening the rest of your body. That should help you improve your overall health and fitness, and feel good about yourself. Plus, you won't face any medical issues at a later stage in your life. So, if you were not considering it, now might be a good time to start working on them.
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