Upper Back Exercise for People who want to Improve their Posture!I have been lifting weights and doing upper back exercise for many years and never saw any noticeable changes to my body until I started doing Pilates exercises. The most recognizable changes were how my posture improved immensely. I carried my chest high and shoulders down with no tension in the neck and upper back muscles. Pilates exercises work the muscles of the upper back by stretching and strengthening them simultaneously.
When doing upper back exercise it is important to understand that you need to strengthen your core or abdominal muscles at the same time you are working the upper back. If you don’t, you will only be developing large muscles in the upper back (traps and rhomboids) while walking around hunched over because your abdominal muscles are not strong enough to hold your spine upright. Pilates for the upper back is a great way to strengthen and stabilize the core muscles while simultaneously working the muscles of the upper back. Outlined below are some of the Pilates posture exercises that have worked best for myself and my clients in improving our posture and upper back strength.
Upper Back Exercise - Lateral Row: 1. Sitting on a mat with your legs extended and back straight (bend knees if hamstrings are tight) wrap an exercise band around your feet and hold the ends in both hands. 2. Exhale as you pull your hands to your waist keeping palms facing your sides and elbows reach straight back. Feel the shoulder blades draw together but do not pinch them. Repeat 10-15 times staying tall and keeping abdominal muscles working to hold spine upright.
Upper Back Exercise - Wall Washes: 1. Standing with your legs hip width apart, neutral spine and pelvis against a wall. Back of the head, upper back, and sacrum(tailbone) rest against the wall. 2. Walk your feet out away from the wall about one foot and bend the knees slightly. Bring hands and elbows flat against the wall. 3. Inhale as you slide the elbows and hands slightly up above the shoulders and then exhale as you actively pull them down. Imagine pulling your elbows down like you are going to put them in your back pockets. 4. Feel the scapula slide up and down drawing the shoulder blades together as you come down and apart as you go up. Repeat 10-15 times.
Upper Back Posture Exercise - Elbow Lift:
1. Lying face down on a mat with hands outside of your shoulders palms face down and legs long and extended. Turn your head to one side. 2. Draw your abs and ribs up and in as you lift your upper back only keeping your feet anchored to mat. 3. Raise your elbows higher keeping fingertips on shoulders. Keep your nose pointed down at the floor for best neck alignment. Repeat up to 5 times trying to hold up to 15 seconds as you progress.
UPPER BACK STRETCH When you are finished with the above exercises wrap your arms tighthly around your upper back giving yourself a big hug for a great upper back stretch to really loosen and elongate the muscles.
The exercises outlined are those that have helped to not only improve my own posture and upper back strength, but also for many of my students.
|
