Image: Supplied.
The benefits of good posture stretch far beyond the inch or two you gain in height when you don’t slouch.
The rumours are true – if you stand tall you’ll appear slimmer. Poor posture enhances areas you mightn’t want to highlight. For instance, it creates a belly when you could have a flat stomach just by standing up straight.
Apart from the aesthetic improvements, there are a number of health benefits to standing tall as well. Coming from someone who has asthma, it’s impossible to breathe correctly or take full breaths when you are slouching – just try it.
When you slouch, your head and neck won’t be in proper alignment either. This not only affects your spine, it places extra strain on the upper vertebrae and muscles of the neck.
Stretching your shoulders, back and neck are great ways to alleviate pain from slouching. But it’s important to strengthen the muscles as well. Working the correct postural muscles will mean you will be less likely to slouch and more likely to stand tall and proud!
These five exercises will do the trick:
5 stretches to strengthen your posture
This post originally appeared on Peta Serras’ blog and has been republished with permission. Follow Peta on Instagram and Facebook.
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