Poor posture isn’t a big deal until it is. Many strength and conditioning experts, who are much more knowledgeable than me, will tell you that poor posture is NOT a big deal, and they’re probably correct. But believe me performing exercises to improve your posture is one of those low-hanging fruit things that will ensure better health and fitness and make you less likely to hurt yourself.
Like with most things, there is plenty of middle ground, and that’s where I will spend our time. So, sit up straight and pay attention if you want better posture, stronger lifts, and a more resilient body. Here, we will discuss the benefits of posture strength training and three exercises to incorporate into your workout if your posture is a concern.
Let’s dive in while sitting up straight.
What Is Good Posture?
Good posture involves your body’s ability to stand, walk, sit, and lie and place minor strain on muscles and ligaments while moving or performing weight-bearing activities. But your posture is position-dependent.
The posture of a soldier and one of a boxer is different. Your body will adapt and compensate for this position over time to make it easier. This is a significant reason why there is a poor link between posture and chronic pain. But you probably have a less-than-optimal posture if you cannot return to anatomical position.
Benefits Of Good Posture
This isn’t like rehab or physical therapy because they blow unless you have to do them. The exercises below will improve your strength and posture without your mother yelling at you to stand up straight.
But before that, here are three essential benefits of posture strength training.
Stronger Lifts
The exercises featured here mainly train your glutes, upper back, and core, which in turn improve posture. Strengthening and stabilizing these muscle groups will help ensure a carryover effect on your squats, bench, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts.
Reduced Back Pain
While the connection between posture and pain may not be strong, incorporating posture strength training can potentially alleviate your back pain. By improving your posture and strengthening your lower back, you’re giving yourself a chance to experience less discomfort.
Improved Mobility
When your joints are in a better position, and the muscles around them are not shortened or weakened, you’re more likely to have better movement. This can also help decrease stiffness and potential pain when lifting or performing daily activities.
3 Exercises To Improve Your Posture
The following exercises don’t involve tying yourself in knots or lifting pink dumbbells. They are fair dinkum strength exercises that improve your strength and posture. Let’s get into it.
Suitcase Carries
When we carry bags over our shoulders or load in our hands, we can favor one side over the other. This may result in tilting our body over to one side to overcompensate, which, over time, may cause problems. Carrying a dumbbell/kettlebell unilaterally will help iron out strength imbalances between your oblique muscles and grip strength and help you stand up straighter. Plus, they have been popularized by strength guru Dan John, so if they’re good enough for Dan, they’re good enough for you.
Sets & Reps
When inserting suitcase carries into your workouts, you’re only limited by your imagination. However, when doing carries as part of your workout, pair them with an exercise that doesn’t require much grip strength. For instance
1A. Bench press variation
1B. Heavy Suitcase Carries: 20 steps in one hand, then 20 in the opposite.
Or
1A. Barbell Back Squat
1B. Heavy Suitcase Carry: 20 steps in one hand, then 20 steps in the opposite (using a heavy weight)
The age-old cues “shoulders down and back” or “chest up” works well here. Checking your form in a mirror will help if you are having trouble knowing whether you’re overcompensating to one side.
Deadbug Pullover
The deadbug is an excellent exercise for your anterior core and lower back, and adding a kettlebell increases its benefits even more. Lowering the kettlebell behind your head and extending your legs in front demands more from your core and upper back. Regularly performing the deadbug pullover will prevent low back extension during heavy lifting, strengthen the anterior core, and help stretch the lats, reducing the dreaded caveman rounded-shoulder look.
Sets & Reps
You can use a dumbbell, but a kettlebell works better with this exercise. Although the video is demonstrated with a light kettlebell, don’t be afraid to use a moderately weighted kettlebell to test your anterior core and lower back strength. Pairing the pullover deadbug in a superset with an exercise that requires core stability works well. For instance:
1A. Front Squat 4 to 8 reps
1B. Pullover deadbug: 6 reps on both sides.
Or, if it’s an upper body day, pairing this exercise with a press variation also works.
1A. Unilateral Dumbbell Bench Press or Push Press
1B. Pullover with Deadbug: 12 reps (six on each leg)
The point of this exercise is to keep your lower ribs down and avoid low back hyperextension, and so do both. Performing at a controlled tempo will help, and keeping your chin tucked will maintain a neutral spine. Breathe out as you lower your weight and leg towards the floor, and breathe into your stomach as you reverse it.
Eccentric Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift adds muscle and strength to your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. It builds a posterior chain you can bounce quarters off and improves powerlifting and O lifts. However, performing it with an eccentric focus will improve posture because postural control extends beyond the little muscles.
Strengthening the typical muscles lengthened in the less-than-optimal posture position (including the rotator cuff, middle trapezius, hip flexors, and adductors) will improve their function and move the glutes, shoulders, and spine back into better positions. Performing the Romanian deadlift with an eccentric effort will do both while still getting your glutes and hamstrings popping.
Sets & Reps
Kettlebells and dumbbells work better with this exercise because they allow for more freedom of movement and allow you to use multiple grips. When done well, this exercise will smoke your grip and posterior chain, so pairing it with a mobility/core or upper body exercise that doesn’t require a lot of grip strength works well. For Instance:
1A. Eccentric Romanian Deadlift 6 to 12 reps
1B. Half Kneeling Pallof Press: 12 reps (each side)
Or
1A. Eccentric Romanian Deadlift 6 to 12 reps
1B. Unilateral Floor Press 12 reps (each side)
The emphasis of this deadlift variation is the eccentric contraction, so a three to five-second lowering is required. Keeping your shoulders down, chest up, and armpits squeezed to your upper body while maintaining pristine hinge form will improve posture and make Sir Mix-A-Lot proud.
