At-Home Exercises to Strengthen Your Core & Improve Posture

At-Home Exercises to Strengthen Your Core & Improve Posture

It’s known that poor posture can lead to many problems with back pain, neck pain and cause serious problems if left untreated. Leading a sedentary lifestyle is more often the cause of poor posture, but by strengthening your core muscles and doing some select at-home exercises either when you wake up or before you go to bed, you can vastly improve your posture and stave off the back and neck pain.

Shoulder Rolls
This exercise will work out the neck and shoulder blades. Stand up with your back straight. Slowly inhale and as you do, bring your shoulders up to your ears as high as they can go while keeping your arms straight down, at your sides. Once your shoulders are at maximum height, slowly exhale and bring them back down. Repeat 10 times.

Single Leg Extension
This pose strengthens the core muscles and stabilizes the pelvis. Lay on the ground, face up. Your knees should be bent so that your feet sit flat on the floor, with your hands behind your head, curling it slightly upward. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, suck in your belly and bring one knee to your chest while extending the other leg at a 45 degree angle off the ground. Switch legs and repeat 10 times per leg.

Side Bend
While standing straight, place your right hand on the side of your head so that your arm and head form a triangle. Keep both feet firmly grounded, about shoulder width as you use your hand to guide your head to the left, bending the torso slightly until you feel a stretch along the right side of your body. Breathe slowly around 3 or 4 times and slowly bring yourself back to an upright standing position. Do this for each side of your body 3–5 times.

​Plank Pose
This is one of the most beneficial poses you can do, as it works out almost all of the upper body as well as the core. To start, you should be in the “up” position of a pushup. So, on the ground, face down. Plant both hands on the ground, shoulder width apart. Both legs should be extended behind you, feet touching. Bend your arms 90 degrees so you’re midway through a push up and hold that pose as long as you can. Tighten your abdominal muscles to ensure that your back remains straight throughout the pose. Then rest and repeat twice more.

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