Our posture can change as we get older. Live long enough, and you’ll find you can’t stand up as straight as you once did. Worse yet, you may find your posture begins to curve around your neck and shoulders.
Aging affects three central “systems” responsible for your posture: The column of bones (vertebrae) in your spine, the disks that act as cushions between your vertebrae, and your muscles.
The good news is it’s not too late to reverse some of the signs and symptoms of poor posture.
Proper posture is the key to bringing your body back to life.
Practice these spine-strengthening exercises at least three times a week.
Goal Post Stretch
This active posture stretch stretches the chest muscles and strengthens the muscles in the upper back.
First, stand with your upper back, shoulders, and pelvis against the wall.
Next, make the shape of a field goal with your arms while your rib cage, pelvis, and head maintain contact with the wall, if possible. Finally, slide your arms upward along the wall going as far as you can without moving the rib cage or shoulders away from the wall. Do 5-10 repetitions.
It would be best to think about your posture as you go about your daily activities, like sitting up straight when you watch TV and taking breaks from activities that promote poor posture, like sitting at your computer.
Align Your Spine
Use the wall to help your standing posture. Stand against the wall with your head, shoulders, pelvis, and heels touching.
Breathe five times while holding this position. It may feel awkward if your body has some alignment faults. Then, step away from the wall while maintaining this alignment.
Do this several times a day, especially after sitting for over an hour.
Proper posture is the key to bringing your body back to life.
Thoracic Extension
This is an excellent move to reverse the forward head and shoulder posture that results from sitting at a computer.
Facing a wall, place both hands on the wall, shoulder width apart, straighten your arms, lower your chest toward the floor, keep your legs as straight as possible, breathe, and repeat 5-10 times. This can also be done by placing your hands on a desk or a kitchen counter.
A weak core can contribute to poor posture.
Wall Push-ups
These are great for your upper body, particularly the chest and arms, and will make carrying things like grocery bags much more manageable. Stand in front of a wall, about two feet away, and place your hands against it at shoulder height, keeping ping your body straight, bend at the elbows, lean towards the wall, straighten your arms, and push back into an upright position.
Wall Sits
The wall sit is a great exercise to build strength around the knees and hips.
Stand with your back against the wall with your feet in front of you. Slide down the wall, bend your knees, and make sure that your knees are right over your ankles. Pause in the sitting position, then push to standing while sliding back up the wall. Repeat 10-20 times.
Consider strengthening exercises that focus on your shoulders and your core.
Gluteal Stretch
While on your back, bend your knees and hips to a 90-degree angle, then cross one ankle over the opposite thigh. Breathe and try to relax the muscles surrounding the hip and low back—one minute for each leg.
It would be best to think about your posture as you go about your daily activities, like sitting up straight when you watch TV and taking breaks from activities that promote poor posture, like sitting at your computer.
Legs up the wall
This stretch opens up the posterior fascial chain and can relieve some back pain. It’s also great for improving circulation in your legs.
Lie down on your back close to the wall. Place both legs on the wall at a comfortable angle. Breathe. Stay for 1 minute at least. Feel the stretch anywhere from the back of your head to your feet.
Take a break from sitting.
Wall Bridge
The bridge targets several areas: the front and back of the thighs, the buttocks, the abdominals, and the low back.
Lie down on the floor with feet on the wall; knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Engage your inner core and buttocks to lift your pelvis off the ground. Do 8-12 repetitions, 1-2 sets.
Hip Abduction
A good exercise for pelvic support is hip abduction or side leg lifts. Lie on your side with your shoulders, hips, and feet against the wall. The bottom knee can be bent; the top leg will slide up and down the wall working the side of the hip. The spine should not move. Do 10-20 repetitions.
Like all exercises, you should ease yourself into it and make sure your doctor approves.
The goal is to set up good habits.
Be guided by your ability and do as much activity as you feel is moderate. For example, you may finish the exercises and still feel like you could do more; that’s fine; you don’t have to push yourself to the limit. Your heart rate may elevate slightly, and you might feel tired but not exhausted.
