Exercises to Improve Your Sitting Posture

Most of us spend a big part of our day sitting down, and often when we go home we forgo physical exercise for an evening in front of the TV or computer. Consequently, all of these extended sitting sessions lead to slouching in our chairs. Even if we start by sitting upright, eventually our muscles   become fatigued, and we slouch automatically , letting our bones take the brunt of the weight instead of our muscles. Over time, our bad sitting posture becomes our “regular” posture, and slouching can cause a host of   problems: pain in the shoulders, joints, neck, lower back, knees, and even   headaches. The following exercises will train the muscles in charge of supporting   your spine, which will help you maintain the proper sitting position.

1. Strengthen your back with “Warrior” pose The “warrior” pose is an exercise that strengthens your thighs and stretches  your arms significantly – both areas are important in reducing strain on your spine.

To perform this exercise, start by standing with your legs straight together,  and your arms stretched up. Step forward with your right leg until your knee  is at a 90° angle, plant your foot firmly on the ground. Next, stretch your  left leg back. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds, and then stand back up. Repeat  with the opposite leg. 2. Chest stretches This exercise simulates pushups while in a standing position. It is designed to  stretch your chest muscles and ease spinal pain.

Stand in an open doorway, place your hands at shoulder height outside  the door frame. Bend your elbows and lean forward on your toes while keeping  your chest straight, and then push forward, straightening your elbows.  Repeat this action 5-10 times. The more you perform this exercise, the more  you’ll notice that it gets easier to bend your elbows and resume your initial  stance. Your goal is to be able to do 10-25 repetitions with ease. 3. Strengthen your gluts Hip and lower back pains are often the results of weakened glut muscles  that are having problems carrying the weight of your spine. When our sitting  posture is incorrect, it takes the pressure off of our gluts, which ends up  weakening them more. By performing the following exercise regularly, you  can relieve much of the pain caused by inactive glut muscles, and prevent  new pain from occurring.

To perform this exercise, lay a mat on the floor and lie down on your back, with  your knees bent at a 45° angle, and your legs held tightly together. Now push  your buttocks up, until your knees are bent at a 90° angle. Keep your chest  down, clench your buttocks while focusing on pushing your legs down to the  floor. Maintain this position for a few seconds and release.

If the exercise feels too easy, try raising one leg up while pushing your buttocks up. 4. Shoulder-strengthening pushups In addition to regular pushups, you can perform this variation that trains  and strengthens your shoulders, which provides better support during  prolonged periods of sitting.

Begin in the pushup position, with your body leaning on your straightened-out  arms, palms facing down, your back straight, and your legs stretched back.  Next, instead of bending your elbows, keep your arms straight and allow  your shoulders to move (as seen in the animation above). Repeat this exercise  until you can easily perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions. 5. Stretching your Trapezoids This simple stretch improves your shoulder region’s flexibility where it connects  to the spine. This will help your neck be more limber and prevent future pain  in the area.

Begin by standing or sitting on a chair without a back. Keep your back straight,  your arms loose at the sides of your body and your legs straight and touching  the floor. With one hand, reach up to touch the opposite side of your head,  gently pulling it towards the shoulder. Avoid exerting force to avoid injuring  the region. Remember that your hand is there to aid a deeper stretch in the  neck. Keep your head in this position for 30 seconds, release, and then repeat  for the other side. Perform this stretch twice per side.

6. Chest expansion The next exercise is meant to expand your chest in order to relieve pain in the  spine and help you resume an upright sitting position. You will need a  counterweight, such as a spongy roll, or a rolled-up yoga mat.

Lean your back on the roll while maintaining a natural arch in your lower back  and keep your chest elevated. Put your hands behind your head, placing your  palms on the back of your neck, and lean down, and then straighten back up.  Be sure to keep your chin up to prevent unnecessary stretching of the neck.  When leaning back, focus on expanding your ribcage. During this exercise, your  lower back should remain static. 7. Strengthen the shoulder blades The goal of this exercise is to move the bones that connect your collar bone and  your arm, in order to stretch and train your back muscles and help them provide  full support for your spine.

Stand up straight with your shoulders loose. Move your shoulder blades towards  each other until they meet, and remain in this position for 5 seconds. Release  and repeat 5 times. 8. Thigh muscles stretch The hip muscles provide support for our backs, but most of us never associate  back pains with weak thigh muscles.

Begin by getting down on one knee, keeping it bent at a 90° angle, with your  other leg pulled back, keeping your knee above your ankle. It’s important to remember that performing these exercises once or twice a day  will not counter 8 hours of sitting down, so make sure you’re aware of your  posture when sitting and make an effort to take small breaks and perform  mild physical exercise. However, following this routine will make it easier to  resume a correct sitting position that won’t tire out your back.