This is the one stretch you need to do to improve your posture
Who knew it was as simple and easy as this?!
Photo: Getty/ Stock
If you’re a high-grade sloucher (guilty) and everyone from your grandmother to straight-up strangers are on your back (see what we did there) about head up, shoulders back, stomach in, chin up (just us then?!) this one’s for you.
Despite all that yoga, running, swimming and planking you might be doing (or not), it’s a heavy task to undo the hours of ‘sedentary behaviour’ the modern world has us doing. (Look. A girl’s gotta eat.)
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Enter: Lauren Bunce, pilates and yoga instructor, who says hunching, dear, can be addressed with just one simple stretch. Yes, all those unsolicited comments (never mind, you know, back pain, poor circulation, headaches, stomach issues and – worst of all, obviously – unflattering photos) could be alleviated with basically no effort at all.
“If you’re sitting down for long periods of time, the best way to improve posture immediately is to stand up with your back against a wall and allow for the natural curves in your lumbar spine,” says Bunce.
“First, breathe in. Then, look towards your toes as you exhale and roll down vertebrae by vertebrae. Stop when you reach your bottom – yes, you should be going very, very slowly – inhale, and then roll back up slowly as you exhale. The wall keeps your hips and chest in line while maintaining length in the back of the neck.
“Hold your pose for a minute or two once you’re there, get centred and stay conscious of how you hold yourself after this exercise.”
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Of course, back issues and posture woes can be caused by a range of factors. So, if you are worried, consult your GP or health practitioner for advice and a correct diagnosis.
Otherwise, an extra stretch to get the blood following? It can’t hurt. But those cracks about how you stand? They cut deep.
For more information from Lauren Bunce, head here.
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September 13, 20168:33am
