6 best exercises for posture, according to Pilates –

More time at home, less movement on a daily basis… The spine suffers (and how!). With the home office, many people had to adapt the workplace, and ergonomics was in the background. “That, added to the lack of physical activity and correct posture exercisescan trigger cervical and lumbar pain”, explains neurosurgeon specialist in the spine Felipe Gargioni Barreto, from Personal Orthopedic Clinic.

And you need to be aware: back discomfort is the main symptom of the problem (and usually the first to appear), but not the only one. “Headaches, worsening sleep quality, increased use of analgesics, sedentary lifestyle, weight gain and even stress can also occur”, adds the doctor.

Therefore, it is worth betting on some changes in the daily work, according to the specialist:

“Use chairs with backrest for lumbar. And never banks”; “Do periodic stops to change position”; “Perform posture exercises often, especially the isobarics – those that use the body’s own weight, such as the board. They are excellent for strengthening trunk musculature, which stabilizes the spine, and can be performed at home.”

exercises for posture

– (Terry Vine/Getty Images)

Physical educator José Elias Proença, partner of MetaLife (@metalifepilates), listed six easy exercises. See what they are:

“It is essential to take a moment to relax. This break is efficient for preserving and restoring health. The objective is to seek a state of conscious passivity, of tonic balance and to perceive the inner life of the body.”

Starting position: Lie down in a relaxed position on your back, with your knees bent. If necessary, support your head with a towel, about 3 cm thick. Keep your feet and knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on your abdomen.

Execution: breathe, moving the abdominal region, feeling the pelvis rise and fall. Feel your throat relaxed and keep breathing long. Widen the base of your tongue and feel it relax. Inhaling, raise your shoulders towards your ears. Breathing out, relax your shoulders away from your ears, increase your shoulder blades’ contact with the floor, feel your body expand. With each breath, identify the tense parts of your body. Try to relax, increasing the points of contact with the ground. If you feel the need, slowly change positions and remain in it for a few minutes.

2 – Pelvic alignment

“The ideal posture is one in which there is balance of forces, both ascending and descending. The pelvis is the meeting place for these forces, which come from the legs and trunk. The goal is to develop the possibilities of movement in this region, both in terms of mobility and stability, finding a neutral pelvic position, to improve spinal alignment.”

Starting position: lie down in a relaxed position. Before finding the “Neutral Pelvis” alignment, you need to explore all possibilities of pelvic tilt.

Execution: be careful not to push the pelvic tilt beyond the level of mild discomfort. The first thing to do is explore the ability to tilt. To make it easier, just imagine that there is a clock face attached to the front of your pelvis, and looking straight ahead, make the face “look up” toward your head by tilting your pelvis. Hold this position and take a few shallow breaths.

Now make your pelvic “clock” look down by tilting your pelvis to the opposite side. Stay in this position and breathe easily. Then go back to the center. There may also be a small natural arch in the back, in the lumbar region. Relax.

3 – Lumbar stabilization

“This exercise has the function of complementing the pelvic alignment.”

Starting position: in a relaxed position, with your knees bent, place your hands on your abdomen area. Have the thumbs touch the navel and the fingers touch the midline, about 6 cm below the navel.

Execution: imagine wearing a pair of really tight jeans, deflate the area under your thumbs and fingers towards your spine. The sensation is that the ribs are directed towards the pelvis. Isometric exercise helps facilitate abdominal and transverse lower back protection. Hold for a while, and then relax.

4 – Stretching of the hamstrings (posterior thigh)

Starting Position: lying on your back, completely relax your body and take deep breaths to relieve tension. This exercise helps to stretch the leg muscles and provides lightness. The expert tip is: be kind to your body. Teach your muscles to relax during activity. To increase the stretch, flex your foot towards your face.

Execution: lift your right leg, place an elastic band or towel “looping” the foot, take a deep breath and, as you exhale, slowly extend the elevated knee. Return to normal breathing and hold the position for 20 seconds. Repeat the exercise three times on each leg. If the activity is carried out smoothly, in this step of extending the raised knee it is possible to progress slowly and carefully, also extending the leg that is supported on the ground. Now breathe normally. Hold for 20 seconds. If necessary, repeat the sequence.

5 – Cervical Stretching

“The purpose of this exercise is to consciously mobilize the cervical spine to provide alignment and balance in muscle tone.”

Starting position: lying down in a relaxed position, keep your knees bent and your arms resting on your lower abdomen. Gently place the anchored shoulder blades into the ground. You can use a thin pillow under your head. Rotate your neck and tuck your chin.

Execution: Relax and release your neck, let your tongue widen at its base and your neck lengthen slightly at the back. Make yourself comfortable, relaxing your shoulder blades to the floor, take slow, deep breaths, rolling your head to both sides slowly, as if you were making “no” movements with your head. Without lifting your back off the ground, repeat the movement a few times. Finally, change the movement: make as if they were “yes” with your head.

6 – Arm Openings (open the book)

Starting position: lying on your side with your head on a pillow, knees and hips at 45 degrees, place a tennis ball or pillow between your knees and stack each joint directly on top of the other (ankles, knees, hips and shoulders). Don’t let your waist sag, maintain the position while performing the exercise.

Execution: inhale and lengthen the spine, release the air forcefully and repeat the breath three times. Taking a slow breath, lift your arm up and behind your back with slow movements. Follow the hands with the eyes. Focus on keeping your pelvis and lower legs still. Exhale as you bring your arm back to its starting position. Repeat the movement a few times. Roll to the other side and do the same number of reps.