3 simple strength training exercises for posture

Good, strong posture is more important than many people realize. Poor posture creates undue stress on the body, creating inflammation, trigger points, stiffness, limited range of motion and pain. All of that can be avoided with the right exercise.

By utilizing the resistance created with a rubber band, you can strengthen and tone muscles to create better posture and prevent pain. These three simple strength training exercises, using a simple fitness band, will help correct and restore bad posture and reduce and eliminate its painful symptoms.

What to use

You can use any kind of resistance band you may have or purchase. They come with handles on each end or in a continuous loop, like the one used in today’s video. They also come color coded, where specific colors indicate a different resistance level. Start light and move up to tighter and stronger resistance colors.

One set of ten reps is all you need to do of each of the following three exercises, as all of them together equal one “full set.”

Exercise 1

You want to grab the band in both hands about a shoulder’s width apart. Stand tall and hold the band up at shoulder height, with hands pulling the band slightly past shoulder width to create tension.

Now pull your shoulders back and pull your arms out to their respective sides, elbows locked. Be sure to externally rotate your thumbs while doing this. You want to rotate the thumbs and pull them back as if you are trying to touch them behind your back.

You want to really contract the back by pulling the shoulder blades together as you pull the band and expand the chest.

Exercise 2

Stand with feet shoulder width, band lying across the upward facing palms, elbow have to stay locked in to the sides.

From here simple pull your hands apart. It is not moving through a large range of motion, and you don’t need to feel like you have to expand your chest to gain benefit. Just moving your hands apart out to their sides is enough.

Exercise 3

Now hold the band up over your head. Stay tall with shoulders and arms held back. Your biceps should be held even with your ears.

From this position, simply pull arms apart and downward so the band is stretched and lowered down to your shoulder, and then returned back to the top.

Final Tip

Even if you do these postural exercises, you still have to make an effort to stay tall all day, every day. These exercises won’t “make” you stand tall and sit upright in good posture; you have to make an effort to do that until it becomes a habit. The exercises will balance the muscles needed to keep you there once you achieve it.