What are the best spine straightening exercises?
Spine straightening exercises, also known as back strengthening exercises, can help prevent injuries to your spine and improve your overall posture.
The exercises can be done at home or at the gym, and it’s recommended that you do them several times per week in order to achieve maximum benefits.
Doing these simple exercises regularly will not only improve your posture but also make your daily activities feel much more effortless!
If you’re ready to add some spine straightening exercises to your fitness routine, here are 12 simple and effective ways to do it.
The Best Spine Straightening Exercises.
It’s easy to fall into bad habits and let your spine get out of alignment – especially if you spend long hours in front of the computer, hunched over as you stare at your screen.
These exercises are designed to help straighten your spine and get you back into good alignment by using gravity as an ally instead of an enemy.
They won’t take more than 10-15 minutes out of your day but will pay off big time in terms of better posture and less pain. Enjoy!
1. Upper back stretch
Stand with your back to a wall.
Bend your knees, then squat down as if you were sitting in a chair.
Once you’ve reached a seated position, lean back against the wall until you feel a stretch in your upper back muscles.
Hold for 30 seconds, then return to an upright position.
Repeat 3-5 times throughout each day of your spine straightening exercises routine.
2. Chest stretch
Tight chest muscles are a big cause of a rounded spine, spending too long in a sitting position in front of a computer is a big cause of this.
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place both arms down at your sides, palms facing up.
Raise both arms over your head so that they form a 45-degree angle with your body.
Tilt your chin slightly up to look towards the ceiling as you pull one shoulder blade down towards your waist with each hand for 10 seconds.
Switch shoulders, then repeat on the other side.
Repeat twice more for a total of three sets of ten repetitions per shoulder stretch.
3. Hip stretch
The hip stretch is great for loosening your lower back muscles and providing temporary relief from low-back pain.
It’s important to keep your knees slightly bent as if you were in a kneeling position.
If your hamstrings are very tight, you can bend forward at the hips instead of keeping a straight line from head to toe.
Hold each position for 30 seconds, performing 2 or 3 reps.
4. Lower back stretch
A lot of us spend a huge chunk of our time at desks, working on computers. This can lead to stiff backs and sore muscles.
One easy way to counteract that damage is by performing a lower backstretch.
The best way to do it is by pulling your stomach towards your spine, which straightens out your back for better posture.
Start by standing upright with your arms hanging down at your sides.
Then pull up on your tummy muscle (the part just above where you think you have a six-pack).
Hold for 15 seconds and repeat three times, giving yourself enough rest between sets so that you don’t cramp up.
5. Upper Trapezius Stretch
How to get rid of lower back pain by stretching your straps.
Sit up straight at a desk for hours?
Chances are you’re tightening up in all kinds of muscles you didn’t even know existed—like your neck, jaw, and shoulders.
Stretch these problem areas with a simple exercise that should take just three minutes out of your day.
Here’s how Gently pull your left ear towards your left shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch in between them.
Hold for two seconds; then relax.
Now repeat on the other side, using your right ear and pulling it towards your right shoulder.
You can do 10 repetitions per side if desired, but three times will suffice if that’s too many!
6. Neck Stretch
Stretch your stiff neck with a towel.
Place one end of a bath towel over a doorknob, or something else at approximately chin height.
While looking up, grab both ends of the towel behind your head.
Slowly pull it down until you feel a good stretch in your upper back (just below where your neck meets your shoulder).
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
7. Hamstring Stretch
The hamstring stretch is a great way to loosen up your lower back.
It relieves tension from your hamstrings and helps relieve stress on your spine.
Here’s how you do it: Lie on your back with both legs extended.
Slowly bend your right leg until you feel a great stretch in that hamstring.
You can also use an exercise band for extra resistance during these stretches.
Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds, and repeat each 2-3 times on each side.
8 .Inner Thigh Stretch
Starting on your hands and knees, bend your left knee to place your foot flat on the floor.
While keeping both hips facing forward, turn your torso to face toward your bent leg.
Next, use a towel or strap around your foot to pull it further into extension until you feel a deep stretch in the inner thighs.
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Repeat on the opposite side of the body. Repeat 2-3 times per day for best results!
9. Cat-Cow Stretch
One of the most popular yoga poses, Cat-Cow is easy to perform.
This spinal stretch is great for beginners—and even advanced practitioners will find it stretches them in new ways.
Start on your hands and knees with your spine rounded, your chin tucked in and pressing through your palms to lift you back high, now relax.
Then move into Cow Pose by arching your back, lifting your tailbone up toward the ceiling, stretching your abdominal muscles, and stretching out through your neck as you look up.
Repeat 10 times. It might sound silly, but give each movement five deep breaths!
10. Doorway Stretch
Stand in an open doorway, facing it.
Place your hands on either side of the door frame for support.
Lean into the doorway until you feel a gentle stretch in your chest.
Hold for 30 seconds then relax. Repeat 3 times.
This can also be done without using a doorway as well.
Simply stand upright while keeping good posture with your back straight and shoulders down.
11. Chin Tucks
One of the simplest spine straightening exercises is a chin tuck.
This posture exercise works by strengthening your back muscles, improving your spinal flexibility, and teaching you how to maintain good posture throughout your day.
To do a chin tuck, follow these steps:
Place both hands on top of your head with fingers interlaced and thumbs touching each other on top of your forehead.
Tilt your head forward slightly as you slowly lower both hands towards your forehead.
12 .Banded Pull Aparts
Hold a resistance band by either end right out in front of you with straight arms.
Stretch your arms out to your sides pulling the band apart as you do this.
Pretend like you are trying to pinch and pen between your shoulder blades.
Slowly release back to the starting position.
we’re on the topic of resistance bands, make sure you get your FREE copy of my EBook. Train wherever the f*ck you want!
Can Spine Posture Be Corrected?
Posture is important.
Whether you’re sitting at a desk all day or doing sports, having a good posture can benefit your health in more ways than one.
Unfortunately, most people don’t know that spine posture can be corrected—and they suffer from bad postures without knowing how to resolve it.
The following are some of the best spine straightening exercises that will leave you with a better posture.
They really are just general exercises that should be in any home exercise program.
A strong core and stomach muscles go a long way towards proper posture.
4 Steps to Improve Your Bad Posture:
One way or another, everyone will have their spine straightened at least once in their life.
You may lose your balance for too long and fall onto something hard; an accident might lead you into getting into such terrible positions; whatever the reason might be, odds are that you need help to correct your posture.
Luckily enough, there are steps that you can take.
Here’s what you should do when dealing with issues about spine posture:
- Stop Doing What Causes Problems, Right Away! To start off, stop slouching immediately! If possible, go around and tell your friends (or family) to remind you whenever they see it happening again. Yes, it might be annoying for them (that is if they really care about you), but it’s better than leaving things as-is.
- Eat Properly, Eat Healthy Foods: Eating healthy foods will ensure that your body stays well-fed. Aside from keeping you healthy overall, eating properly also ensures that your muscles can function as intended—including your spinal muscles which deal with holding up your entire upper body throughout the regular motion.
- Treat Your Back Carefully When Feeling Stiff: Treating yourself after a strain or injury is just as important as preventing it in the first place. Be sure to move slowly and avoid putting too much pressure on your back; an ice pack will work wonders if applied correctly, so follow these tips when treating yourself.
- Exercise Often Exercise regularly: A lot of doctors recommend exercises to patients who show signs of bad back conditions—and for good reasons!
Can You Correct Years Of Bad Posture?
Yes, bad posture can be corrected with exercise.
Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to change your habits and improve your posture than you might think.
Even if you currently have poor posture, there are exercises that can help fix it—and make sure that poor posture doesn’t return!
This is especially true for people who have chronic neck pain; these exercises are specifically designed to strengthen your core muscles and address muscle imbalances often responsible for pain.
They also make us feel better from head to toe by improving our flexibility and increasing blood flow throughout our bodies.
While we’re focusing on strengthening your back today, do know that these exercises will also work for many other areas of your body as well!
Let’s get started…
Farmer’s Walk
Grab two dumbbells (or a heavy bag of some sort) so they hang down at either side of your body.
Stand in an athletic position with your shoulders back, chest out, and core engaged. Walk for 50 meters—about half a football field—keeping your arms straight and feet relatively close together to ensure that you don’t trip!
Set them down, turn around, walk back to where you started; repeat 4 times.
This one is great for strengthening your core and helping you improve posture by making sure you have strong muscles throughout your back!
If you are feeling ambitious, try doing these holding weights at different levels; if not, focus on keeping your shoulders squared away from your ears and walk tall as much as possible!
The weight should be heavy enough that it’s challenging to carry but not so heavy that it’s impossible to do more than a few repetitions without losing form or straining your back!
Back Extension/Curl Ups
Next, stand next to something sturdy you can hold onto for balance (such as a chair).
You want your legs just wider than hip-distance apart with toes pointed slightly outward.
Your lower back needs to remain touching against whatever surface you’re standing behind for support.
Engage your core, exhale, and lift yourself up until only your shoulders and upper back are resting against whatever surface you were touching behind you!
Hold yourself there for 5-10 seconds before gently lowering yourself all the way down again; repeat 15-20 times total – 3 sets.
This is another one that will make you feel super supported by engaging your core while also making sure you’re using the proper form as well!
Dumbbell Rows
Now we need to strengthen those rhomboids we talked about earlier; grab a set of light dumbbells and get into a plank position with both hands underneath your shoulders while lying face down.
Keep your elbows tucked under your body; brace your core, keep breathing normally, and row both weights up toward your torso—don’t let them touch anything other than air.
Lower them back down slowly and repeat 12-15 times before switching sides. Make sure you’re squeezing those shoulder blades tightly together at the top of every repetition to really target that rhomboid area!