Having a good posture does not only add a charm to your personality and make you look confident and attractive, but also has many health benefits. Having a good posture can help you reduce lower back pain, increase energy levels, increase lung capacity, improve circulation, boost digestion, reduce joint pain, improve core and scapular strength, and so much more [1].
So, if you wish to reap the benefits of a good posture, slip out of your couch and do these yoga poses, but before that, let’s understand what exactly is a ‘good posture’.
The Right Posture
Spending hours doing a desk job can have a negative impact on your posture and over time, poor posture may lead to stiffness, cause pain, tissue damage and premature joint degeneration. A good posture is when the muscles surrounding the spine are balanced and are supporting the body equally [2].
To ensure if your posture is right do a quick check to see if the following points are checked:
- While Sitting:
- Feet should rest flat on the floor
- Even weight must be distributed on both hips
- Back must be straight
- Shoulders must be relaxed
- Ears should line up over the collar bones
- While Standing:
- Legs should have a slight knee bend to avoid hyperextending or locking the knee joints
- Back must be straight
- Shoulders must be relaxed
Now that we have established the essentials of good posture, let’s see how to maintain it. Here are 7 yoga poses to correct your posture.
-
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
- Make sure that your feet are hip-width apart and parallel to each other while standing
- Keep your shoulders wide and relaxed
- Engage your calves, quads and core, and keep your back straight
- Look forward ensuring that your chin is parallel to the floor
-
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)
- Stand straight with legs hip-width apart and your arms to your sides
- Now spread your legs wide apart
- Turn your right feet out and face your right side
- Inward the other feet making a 45-degree angle
- Lean a little towards your right knee making a 90-degree angle
- Make sure that your knee does not cross over the toes
- Feel the stretch in your legs
- Lift your arms stretched wide apart and parallel to the ground
- Hold the pose for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side
-
Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)
- Stand up straight with your balance on your right foot
- Place your left foot onto the calf of your right leg
- Balance yourself and rise your hands
- Join your hands and bring them near your chest
- Ensure that your shoulders are relaxed the entire time
- Keep your eyes fixed on a single focal point in front of you for better balance
- Hold the pose for a minute
- Repeat on the other side
-
Virasan (Hero Pose)
- Kneel on the floor with your buttocks resting on the floor
- Place your hands on your knees
- Keep your knees closer so that the gap between your feet widens
- Firmly press the top of your feet on the floor
- Ensure that your back is straight and your shoulders relaxed
- Look up straight to one focal point at a distance
-
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
- Lie flat on your tummy with your chin resting on the floor
- Allow your hands to lie beside your body while the legs are stretched out
- With your inhalation, draw your hands toward the chest
- Rest the palms on the floor and use your hands to lift your upper body
- Your pelvis must remain grounded and the back must bend backward
- Tilt your head back and look upwards
- Remain in the position for as long as possible and return to the floor as you exhale
-
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)
- Lie flat on your back, with the knees bent and your feet resting firmly on the floor
- Your arms can rest beside your body on the floor
- With your feet firmly in place, use your abdominal and thigh muscles to lift your hips and pelvis upwards
- While your tummy and lower torso are elevated, ensure that the shoulders, neck and head remain firmly rooted to the floor
-
Sukhasana (Comfortable Pose)
- Sit down with legs stretched out straight in front of you
- Bend your left leg at the knee and bring the foot close to your right thigh
- Similarly, bend the right leg and slide the foot under the left calf with your soles tilted up
- Rest your arms over your knees
- Relax and close your eyes
- Breathe normally
- Hold the position for a long time
Bottom Line:
Yoga is one of the best forms of posture correction exercises. The stretches help align the spine and the vertebrae, resulting in the right posture. Yoga also helps you relax your mind and improve other body functions which, in turn, has a positive impact on your overall health.
