Working at your desk all day can take a toll on your posture. Even if you feel that you sit straight, you may actually be slouching your upper back and shoulders. To help you out, here are a few exercises that will open your shoulders and strengthen your upper back and eventually help you look better and feel confident. Follow these do’s and dont’s to maintain a good posture.
The routine is divided into three sets—warm up stretches, strength and toning exercises, and stretches for better posture. The warm-up stretches will help you develop flexibility so that you can engage your back and shoulder muscles in all other exercises. The strength training and toning exercise focuses on strengthening your upper shoulders. Plus, it will help in loosening up the tight muscles of your shoulders, which often is a result of sitting all day long at your desk. The third set of exercises focuses on stretching the muscles of your chest, contributing to better posture.
When you perform the routine for the first time, it is best that you use lighter weights. As you get comfortable with the routine, you can use heavier weights and increase the intensity and repetitions of the routine. It can be a great addition to your strength training routine, so perform this routine three times a week. If you lift light weights, you can carry out this routine five times a week. You can also try these yoga stretches to improve your posture.
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Video source: FitnessBlender/YouTube
Published: March 9, 2016 10:18 am
