Karl from Vitruvian Health shares a short workout you can do at home to improve your posture.
This workout is designed to open up and activate the muscles around your neck, shoulders, back and hips all in one session so that you enjoy a ‘post workout glow’! This will help you either shake off the cobwebs from your night’s sleep, or loosen up after a long day.
This workout can be done either at the beginning or the end of the day. Whether you feel super energetic or lethargic, there are options you can choose from depending on how you feel. Have fun!
You can follow Karl and Kate doing this workout below.
Warm up
- Lying neck rotations
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- Lie on the ground, knees bent or straight; with your shoulders away from your ears;
- Look up at the ceiling;
- Slowly rotate your head first to the left, and back to centre. Keep your chin in;
- Repeat 10 times;
- Then rotate to the right hand side and repeat 10 times.
- Lying scorpion pec stretch
- Lie on your front with your right arm at a right angle;
- Lift your left leg, bend at the knee and roll over towards the right hand side;
- Make sure to keep the right shoulder on the ground the whole time. You have reached your range of movement when you feel a slight pulling sensation across the front of your right shoulder;
- Stay here for 10 breaths;
- Repeat on the left side.
Repeat neck rotations and lying scorpion pec stretch 3 times through, one after the other.
A series
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- Single arm lat stretch
- Using a bar, door handle or kitchen sink, take hold with your right hand using a firm grip;
- Keep your feet hip distance apart;
- Lean your hips backwards until your back flattens and you feel the stretch through your lat;
- Knees can be bent or straight, depending on how you feel the stretch;
- Hold for 60 secs;
- Repeat on the left hand side.
- Single arm lat stretch
- 2. Shoulder dislocates
- Grab a band, towel or dowel (broomstick);
- Hold the band with both hands. Hands will be wider than your hips. The tighter you are, the further apart your hands need to be. The aim is to keep your arms straight the whole time;.
- On your inhale, lift your shoulder up near your ears, then lift your arms up over your head;
- Pull your stomach and ribs in;
- Without bending your arms, as you exhale, let your arms fall over your head while pulling your chest up (ribs in) so your arms and the band are behind you. You are aiming for the band to touch your bum. The tighter you are, the less range you have;
- Once you reach your end point, squeeze your upper back, take a deep breath in, lift your arms and as you do so, lift your shoulders up towards your ears;
- Exhale as your arms come back down in front of you back to your starting position;
- Repeat 10 times
Repeat A series (single arm lat stretch and shoulder dislocates) 3 times through, one after the other.
B series
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- Jefferson curls
- Using a kettlebell / sandbag / bag of shopping, hold your weight with both hands in front of you;
- Stand feet hip distance apart, lock out legs, chin in, roll shoulders forwards, pull belly in;
- Start to slowly roll down through a forward fold feeling every vertebrae in your spine as you lower, pushing the hips back as far as you can;
- Use your exhale to roll deeper;
- Slow roll back up to the top – this is the completion of 1 rep;
- Repeat 10 times.
- Jefferson curls
- Lying prone big 3
- Lying on your front, hands by your side, palms up, lift hands up to the ceiling and back down, complete 15 reps;
- Palms down, rotate thumbs up to the ceiling, inhale lift your thumbs up to the ceiling turning the palms outwards and lower back down, complete 15 reps;
- Arms at 90 degrees, palms face down, lift up the hand, then the elbow as high as you can and back down, complete 15 reps.
Repeat B series (jefferson curls and prone big 3) 3 times through, one after the other.
C series
- Active pigeon
- Starting in a lunge, back knee down, hands on the inside of your front foot (option to have your hands on blocks, cushions or couch if you can’t touch the floor);
- Push the front knee out to the side and back up, complete 20 reps;
- On the 20th time, hold the knee out to the side and hold for 20 secs;
- Repeat on the opposite side.
- Side oblique hip lifts
- Lie onto your side;
- Bottom leg is straight, top leg bent at 90 degrees;
- Press bottom hand and foot of the bent leg into the ground and lift the hips up and down 10 times;
- Advanced option is to perform with both legs straight;
- Repeat on the other side.
Repeat C series (active pigeon and side oblique hip lifts) 3 times through, one after the other.
This article was kindly provided by Vitruvian Health.