How to Get a Better Posture: Improve Your Overall Body Health

Posture is something more people seem to have trouble with because of the increase in jobs that create a more sedentary lifestyle. When people sit for eight or more hours per day, their posture can be deeply affected. This is not to say that all people who have jobs where they sit for most of the workday have a sedentary life outside of work; it’s just more common nowadays.

Poor posture can also be a concern for people who have physically taxing jobs but don’t have time to focus on their overall body health.

There are ways to help fix your posture if you are having trouble with it or you notice that your posture isn’t what you want it to be. If either is the case for you, these tips on how to get a better posture may be just what you need.

How to Get a Better Posture and Improve Overall Body Health?

1. Stretch

Stretching is going to make such a difference in your posture. You can use a fitness roller ball on your back as a simple option for stretching. You can place the roller ball on the floor and roll it up and down your back.

You’ll notice as you roll that certain places in your back may crack; that’s okay. It isn’t harmful, and it will feel better the more you do it.

The roller ball is also great to use before and after a workout. It stretches the muscles in your back and other areas of your body so there’s less tension and more flexibility in your muscles following a workout.

2. Weight Train

Weight training is a fantastic way to help your posture. It helps build strength in your back muscles, improving the way you carry yourself.

Many circuit machines target the back specifically. Utilizing these machines can help with posture. Fitness centers typically have a circuit area with these machines and other fitness equipment that can be used for back exercises.

You’ll often find on the side of fitness machines a display sticker with a few exercises listed for different parts of your body. Fitness equipment that can be used for back strengthening includes seated row machines, cable machines, and free weights.  

If you work out at home, you can use free weights to do exercises such as chest presses, dumbbell rows, and deadlifts.

3. Be More Active

Being more active can be difficult for a lot of people. I’m a parent, so it’s hard for me to be as active as I want to be (other than chasing after little ones!).

You can be more active by taking a 30-minute walk, doing at-home exercising, or even just walking around at the mall…anything to get moving for a while!

You’ll notice that the more active you are, the better you will feel. Your posture will improve when you will shift your weight while on your feet rather than put more pressure on your back from sitting.

If you are active for at least three days per week, you will notice an improvement in your posture.

4. Practice Yoga

You can also improve your posture with popular bodyweight movements in yoga.

Not only is yoga a fantastic way to better your posture, but it also incorporates many stretches for your back. It stretches each muscle in the body and works to improve your muscular strength and endurance.

Also, yoga is a great alternative for people who don’t want to weight train and a good addition to weight training for those who want to do more. It helps with flexibility–which creates more strength in your back and the other parts of your body.

Even resting on your back in a meditative pose can help stretch your back muscles and improve your posture.

Final Thoughts on How to Get a Better Posture

Stretching is the most important thing to incorporate into your workouts when you are trying to get a better posture. If you combine stretching with the other suggested workouts mentioned, you’ll see noticeable results even faster.

You may not have time to go to the gym every day, or you may not have a job that allows you to be more mobile. But there are ways to work around your schedule to accomplish the goal of improving your posture.