Blessed are people who can naturally maintain a good posture at all times and do not have to make extra efforts to do so! Isn’t it?!! But if not naturally, we need to make it a practice to maintain a proper posture whenever we sit or stand. There is no denying that good posture is significant to having a healthy and fit life course.

With good posture, you can have less back, neck, and shoulder pain, less stress, more energy, less fatigue, better mood, better breathing, and more confidence, as well as more positive body language.

So, in that context, why don’t we take this opportunity to discuss some simple wall posture exercises along with some other workouts?

Wall Angel

By standing against a wall, move your feet slightly out, tuck your chin in, and keep your upper back, tailbone, and head against the wall. Inhale deeply and raise your arms up the wall, keeping a 90-degree angle and your elbows and hands on the wall. Rep five times more. This wall posture exercise can make a great deal of difference in your posture.

Want some variations?

Draw your belly button inward to get your spine to a neutral position and slightly pop your chin forward to keep your head aligned with your torso when performing the standard wall angel. Then, with your hands in the “W” position, slide your hands down.

Repeat five times more with twice a day regime.

Chest Stretch

Begin by resting your forearm on a surface such as a pole or a wall. Next, lean outwards while keeping your arm at 90 degrees, feel the stretch in your chest, and hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Then place your hand on the surface, lengthen your arm, and turn your body outwards for 15 to 30 seconds. Finally, with only your fingertips on the surface, extend your arm and turn, holding for 15 – 30 seconds. Switch sides and do the same with the other arm to perform a complete set of this wall posture exercise.

Up Against the Wall

Put your hands behind your head, elbows against the wall, and stretch.

Wall Slide

To do this wall posture exercise, squeeze the muscles in your mid-back as you slide your arms down toward your shoulders, keeping your back tall and your chest open. Keep the backs of your hands, elbows, shoulders, spine, buttocks, and head pressed up against the wall throughout the movement.

Arch Up

There are three movements in the Arch Up exercise. All three movements require you to tuck your chin and rotate your arms externally (thumbs should go upward).

• Flexion of the shoulders: Try to raise your arms higher without bending them by pushing your arms and shoulder blades upwards.
• Abduction to the side: Lift your arms to the side as high as you can and try to bring your shoulder blades together.
• Shoulder elongation: Lift your arms as high as you can by pushing your arms upwards (thumbs up).

Contrary to the wall posture exercise, this exercise has a different way to be performed but contributes similarly to the improvement of your posture.

Planking

Planking is one of the simplest exercises with numerous health benefits. If done correctly, planking can help you improve your posture. When performing the plank exercise, keep your legs straight, don’t let your lower back sink, and keep your gaze down at the floor.

Child’s Pose

This exercise is great for rectifying slouching posture. But what is slouching? Slouching occurs when the shoulders drop forward, and the head tilts forward. This posture causes a severe curve in the spine, putting strain on the neck and constricting the lungs.

This easy exercise stretches your spine as well as your glutes and hamstrings. It can also help to relieve back and neck tension as well as prevents you from getting slip discs.

To perform this pose, you must:

• Begin on all fours, hands, and knees on the floor.
• Slowly take your hands out before you while sinking your hips back down toward your feet. If your thighs don’t go all the way down, you can support them with a pillow.
• Place your forehead on the floor gently while keeping your arms out in front of you.
• Breathe deeply and relax.
• Hold this pose for 5 minutes, taking deep breaths the entire time.

Consult our Ortho expert

Although the wall posture exercises mentioned above will help you correct your posture, expert consultation is always advisable. Dr. Akhil Tawari is a spine specialist and has extensive experience handling all types of spinal deformities and infections. If you are suffering from pain due to poor posture or want to have a detailed understanding and information on spinal curvatures and postures, book an appointment today.