10 Posture Exercises and Tips

Posture is how you position your body while standing, sitting, or moving. It involves the relationship between various body parts, including your spine, shoulders, head, and pelvis. Posture can describe a temporary position of your body or a patterned form of positioning (based on habits).

Maintaining correct posture can support proper joint alignment, reduce strain on muscles and tendons, reduce injury risk, and support healthy movement patterns. Correct posture involves holding the body upright with shoulders back, head tall, and pelvis (hip area) aligned. The goal is to keep the natural curves of the spine neutral rather than curved too far one way or another.

Poor posture is typically characterized by rounded shoulders, with the chin and pelvis tilted forward. Long-term poor posture can lead to pain and negatively affect balance, flexibility, and mobility (how well and easily you move in different ways).

Good posture habits can include sitting upright in an ergonomic chair at work, avoiding slouching while standing, and performing posture-strengthening exercises. These exercises improve the mobility and muscle strength in your shoulders and back to support overall posture.

Floor slides help improve shoulder mobility, range of motion, and spinal alignment, all of which help improve posture. Try to keep three points of contact: your head, upper back, and lower back.

Follow the below steps to complete the exercise:

• Lie flat on your back and bend your knees so your feet are flat on the ground.
• Bring your arms out to the side at a 90-degree angle with your palms facing up.
• Slowly slide your arms up overhead while keeping your elbows on the floor and your back pressed against the floor beneath you.
• Once you hit your end range of motion, slowly return to the starting position.

You can also perform this exercise against a wall—known as wall slides—instead of the floor.

The open-book stretch challenges your thoracic spine rotational mobility, which is how well the middle section of your spine can twist, bend, and stretch. Having mobile spine rotation is essential for good posture.

When doing this exercise, keep your knees together when you rotate open to ensure your lower back does not compensate. Here’s how to do the movement:

• Lie on your side with your arms stretched forward, legs bent at 90 degrees, and your head supported with a pillow.
• While keeping your knees together, rotate your upper back to turn your torso and look behind you, bringing your top arm with you.
• Pause once your arm can’t go further, and then close the ‘book’ by bringing your arm back to the starting position.
• Complete several reps on each side.

Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any back pain or a condition that might not benefit from moving your spine like this.

This exercise strengthens your upper back muscles, such as your rear delts and lats, which can improve your ability to control your shoulder blades. This can help prevent rounded shoulders and support a straight posture. While you can do this exercise at home, it requires resistance bands.

Try the movement following the steps below:

• Wrap a resistance band around a sturdy surface and tightly hold on to the ends.
• Take a couple of steps back to create tension in the band.
• Keeping your knees bent, core engaged, and posture tall, pull the band toward your chest while you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Pause for a moment while the band is pulled towards you, feel your muscles contract, and return to the starting position. 

Face pulls target your upper back muscles, including your rhomboid muscles, while reducing tension in your upper trapezius muscles. This is essential for keeping your shoulders aligned. It also helps prevent a forward-leaning head position.

You can do this exercise at a gym using a cable machine. Here’s how to do a face pull:

• Set the cable machine to about shoulder height and hold each end of the attachment in each hand (you can use any attachment, but the rope attachment works best for this exercise).
• Back up a few steps to create tension in the cable, stand shoulder-width apart, and pull the rope towards your face, keeping your elbows high, flaring them out to the sides. 
• Pause for a moment to feel your muscles working, and slowly control the eccentric part of the movement back to the starting position.

Chin tucks target your cervical spine (neck). They help counteract the forward head lean, which is common in poor posture. Chin tucks also promote better neck alignment and strengthen the muscles needed for a strong, upright head position. Here’s how to do it:

• Start by laying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 
• Engage your core, press your lower back into the floor, and tuck your chin toward your chest, making a ‘double chin.’ Maintain contact between the base of your head and the floor.
• Hold the position for 10 seconds and gently release. Repeat several rounds.

A common yoga pose, the cat-cow mobilizes your entire spine, which helps reduce stiffness and tension in the regions most affected by poor posture. Focus on making slow and controlled movements, and imagine moving one vertebra at a time.

Follow these steps to do cat-cow: 

• Start on all fours with a neutral spine, placing your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
• As you inhale, arch your back into the cow position, letting your belly sink down and lifting your head and tailbone toward the ceiling.
• On the exhale, round your back and tuck your chin toward your chest by drawing your belly button in to move into the cat position.
• Switch back and forth while synchronizing your breathing and complete several rounds.

This T-spine extension drill improves your posture by promoting mobility and flexibility in the upper back. It also mobilizes the vertebrae in your thoracic spine, which is essential for good posture.

You’ll need a foam roller for this exercise. Follow the steps below:

• Lay on the ground and place a foam roller horizontally behind your back at the base of your shoulder blades. 
• Engage your core and lean back over the roller into extension while keeping your hands behind your head for support.
• Hold the extended position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Complete several reps as needed.

Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any back pain or a condition that might not benefit from moving your spine like this.

The side plank exercise strengthens your obliques (side abdominal muscles) and other core stabilizer muscles, which help maintain a balanced and upright posture. Here’s how to do a side plank:

• Lay on your side with your legs stacked on top of each other. 
• Prop yourself up on your forearm, positioning your elbow directly under your shoulders.
• Lift your hips off the ground, keeping a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds while keeping your core engaged.
• Switch sides and repeat for 2-3 sets on each side.

The bird dog engages your core and spinal stabilizer muscles and helps reduce the effects of prolonged sitting by strengthening your posterior chain (muscles on the back side of the body), which supports an upright posture.

Here’s how to do the bird dog exercise:

• Start in a tabletop position, positioning your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
• Keep your back flat and core engaged. Then, extend your right arm forward while simultaneously extending your left leg back. Make sure your hips and pelvis don’t tilt or drop.
• Keep both your arm and leg straight and hold the position for a few seconds before switching sides. 

The dead bug engages your core muscles while promoting stability and coordination. It strengthens the muscles that support spinal alignment.

Follow the below steps to complete this exercise:

• Lay on your back with your arms extended up toward the ceiling. Lift your feet off the floor, bending both your hips and knees to 90-degree angles. Keep your lower back and ribs pressed firmly into the floor.
• Flex your core muscles and slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the ground while pressing your lower back against the floor. Don’t arch your back. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, lowering your left arm and right leg. 
• Repeat for several reps and sets.

You can take other steps to improve your posture.

First, address the ergonomics of your usual environment. Ergonomics refers to designing your space in ways that support posture. For example, if you sit in an office chair, you can place a pillow on the curve of your back, which helps align your pelvis and lower back. Consult with your healthcare provider, physical therapist (PT), or chiropractor if you need help designing a supportive space.

You can also bring conscious awareness to your body positioning and remind yourself to stand tall with your shoulders rolled back and core engaged. Over time, the repeated reminders will become habitual and automatic, which will ensure your posture stays properly aligned.

Poor posture misaligns your body’s joints, meaning they don’t line up in ways that support you and help you function effectively. This creates instability and increases the risk of falls and injuries. Joint alignment also affects how forces are distributed across the joints, so misalignment due to poor posture can lead to uneven wear and tear, resulting in conditions like osteoarthritis (breakdown of the cartilage between joints).

Poor postural habits can also put excessive strain on your spinal discs and vertebrae, increasing the risk of conditions like herniated discs and chronic back pain.

Good posture is essential for healthy movement patterns and joint function and protects against pain and injury. Including posture-strengthening exercises in your routine can help promote effective body positioning.

Add these exercises to your usual workout routine or have posture-specific workouts for a more focused approach. You can also make ergonomic adjustments to your work environment and practice noticing your daily posture.