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Yoga is one of the most effective ways to get a better posture and enhance health. Poor posture due to bad habits or sedentary lifestyle has an adverse impact, such as reduced metabolism, poor digestion, muscle pain, soreness, low self-esteem, and more.
Signs of poor posture include muscle fatigue, slumped shoulders, headaches, tilted pelvis, neck pain, shoulder pain, tightness in the posterior chain, among others. That's why it's important to take steps to get a better posture.
How to Use Yoga to Get Better Posture?
To get a better posture, it's crucial to cultivate body awareness and create good habits. Yoga poses can be an excellent way to help achieve both. Often poor posture is the result of habits you can fix with a few tweaks.
There are several yoga poses that can help in spine lengthening and improving back health. That in turn can help in promoting proper alignment and good posture.
We have created a list of the five best and effective yoga poses to improve posture. These poses can help boost body awareness, increase strength, and enhance flexibility.
Yoga Poses for Better Posture
Here's a look at five such poses:
1) Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
It can help you get a better posture by improving spinal mobility and counteracting the bending or slouching movement of the back. This pose can also stretch the quads, abdomen, and chest.
How should you do it?
- Start off by assuming a high kneeling position on the ground, with your knees and toes on the ground supporting the body.
- Position your hands by the side of the body, with the back straight.
- Slowly and steadily open the chest towards the ceiling, and bring your arms to clutch your heels one at a time.
- Make sure the hips are stacked just above the knees in this position.
- You can also bring your head to the back if you feel comfortable.
- Release after a few breaths.
2) Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
It's a great counter pose to develop a better posture, as the spine is lengthened, neck gets curved backward, and chin gets raised. It also stretches the front of the body.
How should you do it?
- Start off by assuming the lying position on the mat before bringing yourself on your elbows, with your forearms pressed onto the ground.
- Roll your shoulder blades backward with your forearms in their place. You can tuck your hands under your hips if that's more comfortable.
- Bring the crown of your head to your back and as close to the floor as possible.
- Make sure to feel the backbend, and engage your legs. Release after a few breaths.
3) Seated Twist Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
This pose can stretch the posterior chain along with reducing tightness from the back muscles, helping develop better posture.
How should I do it?
- Start off in a seated position, with your legs stretched in the front and back straight.
- Bend your right knee, and position your right foot on the outside of your left thigh.
- Twist your body to the left side, with your right arm pressing outside the bent leg.
- Repeat on the other side.
4) Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I)
This is a simple yet powerful pose that can help in strengthening the lower body and improving back health. It can also help improve the range of motion and building greater flexibility.
How should your do it?
- Start off in a mountain pose before turning the body towards the left side. Bring one leg forward to about four or five feet.
- Slowly bend your right knee just above your right ankle, with your shin perpendicular to the floor.
- Keep your front knee bent at about 90 degrees while the rear leg is straight.
- Bring your arms over your head in a prayer position, and stretch your body to the back.
5) Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
This pose helps in getting a better posture by strengthening the spine and boosting mobility. It can also help in relieving back pain and opening up the chest muscles.
How should I do it?
- Start off by lying on your stomach on the ground before positioning your palms directly beneath your shoulders.
- Press onto your palms to take the upper torso off the ground, and stretch it to your back.
- Hold for a few breaths before releasing.
Bottom Line
The aforementioned yoga poses are some of the most effective ways to help you to get a better posture. These poses can help lengthen the spine and correct the alignment of the natural curves.
These poses also provide numerous other benefits, which have already been mentioned above.
