“Sit up straight!” JK, we’re not your mom. But for real, posture is actually really important, and it’s more than just about how you look. Let’s face it: A lot of us spend a good portion of our day on computers or laptops for work or school and on our phones for fun. All this results in a lot of staring down at a screen, which really throws your posture way off. Your head is a heavy thing, and all that downward pressure results in a rounded upper back. So yeah — we know you.
Why does posture matter?
Besides helping improve the overall appearance of the body so you look and feel like the boss you are, having good posture has many benefits! It opens up your lungs so you can take deeper, more oxygenating breaths. It can reduce the incidence of tension headaches. And, of course, it will help reduce back pain since slouching causes strain on both the upper back and lower back, as well as the shoulders. Don’t underestimate the power of good posture!
Can yoga help you improve posture?
Absolutely! In fact, yoga is one of the best forms of exercise out there to help with posture. Yoga places a big emphasis on correct form during poses. In other words, yoga helps build awareness of how you sit, stand, and even how you breathe. Yoga also opens up muscle groups essential for good posture.
Yoga poses that help posture
Okay, so now that we’ve convinced you, let’s get to the good stuff. If you specifically want to work on your posture, good yoga poses are ones that have you standing or sitting straight, creating awareness of your body alignment. Poses that help stretch out your chest muscles are great as well because nice stretchy chest muscles make it easier to keep your shoulders back where they belong and not hunched forward! And poses that help strengthen the back are necessary as well. If you want a nice straight back, you’ve got to put some muscle in it! Here are some must-try yoga poses for helping you improve your posture:
Mountain pose
Squat pose
Cat/cow pose
Bridge pose
Hopefully with time, patience, and keeping a regular yoga schedule, you’ll have good posture down pat in no time. It may seem like a big task now, but eventually it’ll become second nature!
