Give your posture a solid boost by adding these moves to your workout.
It’s pretty easy to develop poor posture. It’s typically caused by slouching as you sit at a desk, chill on the couch, or look down at your phone. When it becomes habitual, your muscles and connective tissues adapt to this slouched position, leading to misalignment.
Maintaining good posture isn’t just for aesthetics. Proper alignment is necessary so your weight distributes evenly, keeping your muscles, bones, and ligaments balanced. Doing so can help you avoid shoulder, neck, and back pain. It can also help you unnecessarily strain your joints, and you’ll even breath and digest better.
To help you get started, we learned four standing exercises you can try to restore your posture faster than yoga after 60.
“While yoga and floor-based mobility work are excellent for flexibility and range of motion, standing exercises challenge the postural muscles, balance systems, and body awareness required for everyday activities such as standing, walking, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. The benefits often transfer more directly into daily life because you’re strengthening the body’s ability to maintain alignment while upright,” explains Jenna Armitage, a yoga, Pilates, and wellness instructor, and the Founder of GoodGood Studio, infrared mat-based fitness studios in SW London.
Keep in mind that it’s not the goal to chase a “perfect military posture.” According to Andrew Menechian, Co-Founder and Head of Fitness at FitCommit, “I would rather see a relaxed tall position: head over ribs, ribs over pelvis, feet steady, shoulders not jammed back. That is the version people can actually keep.” Menechian has over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry and has mentored more than 100 personal trainers through education roles at The Fitness Playground and Clean Health Fitness Institute.
Below, Armitage and Menechian share four excellent standing exercises that can help restore your posture.
Wall Angels
“This exercise teaches the upper back and shoulders to open without forcing the lower back to arch,” Menechian says.
- Stand tall with your back pressed against a wall, your elbows bent to 90 degrees, and the backs of your hands against the wall.
- Slowly reach your arms overhead while pressing your arms into the wall and keeping your core engaged throughout.
- Lower your arms.
- Use control to return to the start position.
Standing Band Pull-Aparts
“A lot of rounded posture is not just tight chest muscles. The upper back also gets lazy, and this wakes it up fast,” Menechian explains.
- Begin by standing tall.
- Hold the resistance band ahead of you with arms fully extended at shoulder height.
- Pull the band apart, stretching your arms laterally while keeping them fully straight.
- Use control to return to the start position.
Supported Standing Spine Lengthener
“This creates space through the spine, relieves compression, and can feel particularly beneficial for those experiencing tightness through the upper and mid-back,” Armitage tells us.
- Place your hands on the back of a sturdy chair.
- Hinge forward at the hips until your torso forms a 90-degree angle with your legs. Think of creating length between the crown of your head and your tailbone.
- Return to the start position.
Supported Hip Flexor Stretch
“Tight hip flexors are one of the biggest contributors to poor posture, particularly in adults who spend long periods sitting. Opening the front of the hips helps the body return to a more neutral standing position,” Armitage says.
- Begin standing tall, holding onto a sturdy chair or wall for support.
- Step into a gentle lunge, keeping your torso upright.
- Stay for 6 to 8 slow breaths.
Alexa Mellardo