As mothers, we are literally pulled in every direction, and our posture falls victim to the demands of motherhood. Poor posture leads to back aches and pains… and who has time for that?!
Good posture helps reduce stress on tendons, joints and ligaments. Plus, better posture can have a big impact on your quality of life—less back pain, strengthening abdominal muscles, improving your self-confidence and mood, and improving how others perceive you.
How would you like to look?
These easy-to-implement, equipment-free exercises will help you achieve an instant postural adjustment. The movements can be done sitting down, but standing produces the best results.
Pectoral Massage
Tight chest muscles can make it difficult to pull your shoulders back and down. One way to overcome this is to increase tissue mobility through self-massage.
👉🏻 Start by rolling the shoulders back and forth.
Make a fist with the right hand and gently press the knuckles on the left pectoral muscle next to the sternum.
Place the palm of the left hand over the fist for added pressure. Gently drive the knuckles across the muscles toward the shoulder joint.
Raise the hand, return it to the starting position, and repeat.
Shoulder External Rotations
Internal rotation is a common problem. External rotation can help.
👉🏻 Turn the shoulders down.
Tuck the pelvis slightly to maintain a neutral lower back position throughout the exercise.
Slowly twist the wrists until the thumbs point away from the body. Wait a few seconds and release; repeat.
Chin Tuck
This exercise stretches the neck muscles, which allows the skull to return to a more neutral, balanced position as the spine is extended.
👉🏻 Stand with your hips and shoulders touching the wall.
The heels may be an inch or two away from the wall.
Lifting the top of the head, slowly lower the chin towards the throat while pressing the back of the head against the wall for a few seconds.
Rest and repeat. Place a pillow behind the head if the pressure is uncomfortable.
Kneeling Plank Bending Plank
👉🏻 Start in a kneeling lunge position (one knee on the floor and the other leg bent 90 degrees in front of you with the foot flat).
Lift from the crown of the head to lengthen the spine.
From here, drive the hip of the kneeling leg in a gentle thrusting pattern to achieve the stretch.
Hold for a few seconds, then release and repeat.
Do the exercise several times for both hips. Place a pillow under the knees for extra cushioning.
Hip Hinge With Reverse Fly
This exercise improves your ability to extend your upper back.
👉🏻 Place your feet hip-width apart, and hinge at the hips while simultaneously angling the upper body forward.
Aim to slightly arch the lower back by lifting the tailbone.
Retract and depress the shoulder blades.
Begin with extended arms and palms together directly in front of the chest.
Then slowly swing the arms to the sides of the body to about shoulder height with a slight external rotation of the shoulder, and stop when you feel a contraction in the muscles above posterior and a stretch in the pectorals.
Release and repeat.
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If you sit in an office chair all day, use your smartphone to set alarms that remind you to rest STANDING throughout the day.
Place the Shoulder Blades in the back pockets
My clients LOVE this cue to improve posture.
👉🏻 As you read this, sit up tall … now take your LEFT shoulder blade and put it in your opposite back pocket, and put your RIGHT shoulder blade in your left back pocket.
What did it feel like? I’m sure you’re sitting tall and proud, and BONUS, you just engaged your deepest abdominal muscles!
