Credits: Social Media
5 easy stretches to add to your daily routine to correct your posture, from a yoga instructor
It’s hard to get up and active in the morning – but just five simple exercises in five minutes can help your body to make things easier on you as you go about your busy day.
We know what it’s like. Rolling out of bed in the morning is hard enough, particularly during the winter months – let alone exercising first thing. But incorporating just a small, consistent yoga routine into your morning schedule can make a world of difference, particularly for those who spend all day sitting at a desk. Thanks to Instagram yoga guru Emily Mouu, we have found five exercises perfect for beginners and the inflexible, that Mou, who has amassed over 125,000 followers teaching her craft, insists will make a big difference when it comes to correcting your posture and keeping back pain at bay.
Five stretches to help correct your posture.
1 – Floor chest stretch: So first things first, you’re going to want to spend exactly one continuous minute doing each exercise, provided you feel up to it.
For Mouu’s first exercise, you’re going to start on your hands and knees, with your arms outstretched beyond your shoulders and your palms flat on the ground.
Proceed to push each shoulder towards the opposing side of your body, one at a time, tilting your head while you do so until your cheek is close to the ground.
2 – Spinal twist: Staying on your hands and knees, place one arm on your lower back, and twist your shoulder up towards the ceiling.
Repeat this motion 2-3 times, before switching over to your other arm.
3 – Superman stretch: For this exercise, lie down on your stomach as flat as you can.
Proceed to lift your head and your feet simultaneously, using your arms to balance you as you attempt to lift the upper and lower ends of your body towards the sky.
4 – Kneeling backend: Get up onto your knees for this exercise, and place your hands on your ankles.
From here, push your stomach outwards and arch your body. Hold this position for a second, then retract your body, and revert to resting on the back of your legs.
5 – Forward fold: You’re nearly there! To begin the final exercise, stand up and stretch your feet as far apart as you feel you comfortably can.
Take your right hand and reach out towards your left foot – as far as you can without overstretching. Proceed to do this with your left hand and right foot, and alternate like this for a minute.
And just like that, you’re finished. That wasn’t so bad!
The exact terminology may differ depending on who you ask, so for clarity, be sure to watch Mouu’s video below:
The importance of having good posture
Though I may be something of a hypocrite, writing this article while slumped over a cheap desk chair, I can acknowledge that it is definitely important to maintain as best a posture as you can.
As previously reported by The Focus – specialist advice from a chiropractor suggests that sitting incorrectly while working can lead to a tilted pelvis, which can cause pain in your lower back and can also lead to a misalignment of your spine over time.
Moreover, if your daily life requires a lot of walking around – try not to charge between meetings with a heavy bag strung over one shoulder. Dividing the weight across your body will help to alleviate the tension in that one specific area, and will soften the burden placed on your back as a whole.
Remember that your back can be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy, so always treat it with respect!
