By: Bethany Barich (Follow on Instagram & Twitter)
Sitting in front of your laptop, or on the couch can have a lot of bad, long lasting consequences. Not only is there a chance of gaining weight, but also your posture could slowly deteriorate, and you could begin to suffer from back pain more frequently.
It’s no myth that sitting hunched over all day at a desk can cause such awful things, but other consequences could arise.
A study was done at San Francisco State University – students were asked to walk down a hallway, some were told to do it while slouching. Those, the “slouchers,” had reported to feel more depressed than those who had walked with good posture.
Having bad posture can affect your appearance too – by making you look heavier than what you actually are! Another study done at Harvard even showed that having a better posture could help relieve stress.
Not only can having a bad posture possibly lead to those awful consequences, but also it can begin to cause back pain – which, in time, could limit our mobility.
To avoid, or decrease, the chances of developing any of these issues, let’s take a look at three powerful yoga moves that help improve posture and relieve back pain.
Bow Pose
Please DO NOT let this pose intimidate you. Whether you’re an avid yogi, a runner, or just an active person, bow pose is a great addition to add into any stretch or routine. This pose helps open the lungs, your hip flexors, and vertebrae. Adding this into your regular routine will help increase your agility, help with posture, and even decrease some forms of back pain. Remember to work in a pain free environment, so if you do begin to feel some strain on your back while working on not only this pose, but also the others, feel free to stop and look up ways to modify them. One way to modify bow pose is to use a yoga strap if you’re currently unable to grab your ankles with your hands.
Bridge Pose
Bridge pose is one of the best poses to try when wanting to strengthen your lower body, and your back. This pose helps decrease stress that may be caused by depression by allowing your brain and nervous system to calm. By having your shoulders rolled under the back, you’re also helping your posture too! When doing bridge pose, make sure that you DO NOT move your neck, because this could cause a severe injury. If you’re looking to modify it to be easier, only lift your hips, lower back and some of your middle back at first. Life your torso high enough that a straight line is created from your shoulders to your knees. If you’re looking to add more challenging variations, you can clasp your hands together once they’ve rolled under the back, and press into the mat – this will make for a much deeper and opening stretch.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward dog is one of the better poses to try when wanting to improve your posture. The reason why, and well explained on Yoga.com is because, “it stretches and lengthens the spine and opens your shoulders, thus reversing that rounded, hunched over look.” It’s also a wonderful resting pose to come into during your daily yoga routine. If you’re an athlete, this pose is perfect after any workout because it stretches your arms, shoulders, back, hamstrings, calves, and your hands! It helps relieve tension in the back, and also can help with insomnia and headaches (because it’s a mild inversion).
