“Sitting at a desk and looking at a computer screen for eight hours a day is not what our bodies were built for, and we’re seeing the consequences of it,” says Lara Heimann, physical therapist and creator of LYT Yoga. A few of those consequences include forward head and neck position, rounded shoulders, and back pain issues caused by spine misalignment. Bad posture isn’t a moral flaw—despite what your parents, strict teachers, or that one overly critical aunt may have led you to believe by calling you out for slouching. The repercussions of poor posture are far-reaching and can really affect your quality of life. While one immediate effect is a visible change in your physical stature, more substantively it can impact your ease of movement, breathing, and energy. What’s more, Heimann says, “most people with sub-optimal posture have complaints of muscle tightness, fatigue, joint pain, anxiety, lethargy, sleep difficulties, and more.” Heimann says there are two main clues that can indicate a need to improve your posture. One, if you wake up repeatedly feeling sore, achy, and sapped of energy. Two, if you’re feeling repetitive tension or tightness in certain joints like your neck, shoulders, hips, knees, or low back. (Assuming you can’t tie these aches and pains to a specific injury or ailment, of course.) There are tons of practical hacks and behavioral tricks you can try to improve posture and ward off further declines: purchase a posture corrector, make your workspace ergonomically sound, or set reminders throughout the day to notice and correct your stance. But one of the best ways to work on better posture is to strengthen and stabilize the joints and muscles (the deep core, the spine, the hips, the glutes) responsible for holding you upright. And the best news? It’s never too late. Awareness is the first step, followed by exercising specific areas to improve your posture. Below, Heimann shares a customized five-move workout—no equipment needed—to train the most important muscles for better posture. Cycle through them three to four times a week to see consistent progress.
