Moving better throughout your day is just as good of a reason to work out as wanting to feel stronger or reach a personal record. "[Having] proper postural alignment allows you to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on your body," explains Colette Dong, founder of The Ness. "Think about a car with a wheel out of alignment. It wouldn't drive as well or last as long when compared to a car with all four wheels aligned in the proper place." Given that many of us have habits that throw our posture out of whack (read: extended periods of sedentary behavior and wearing shoes with minimal support), it's common for our muscles to either slack or tighten up, as a result. This means we need to focus on our postural muscles in workouts.
Enter: Good Moves10 Minute Dancer Arms Workout video with Colette Dong, which works to strengthen the upper body and core; in turn, this helps improve our posture over time. As Erin Policelli, a physical therapist and founder of Stretch Kinetics in Atlanta, has previously told Well+Good, improved core strength can help "keep the spine erect or extended. If you think of the constant force of gravity that is pulling us, the spinal muscles are needed to constantly work to keep us upright. That’s why having a strong core can help prevent back pain, and you also need a strong core for good posture and support."
Experts In This Article
Colette Dong, founder of The Ness in New York City
Erin Policelli, DPT, physical therapist and founder of Stretch Kinetics in Atlanta
It takes time, repetition, and slowly isolating and building up certain, smaller muscles to really start to see a difference in your alignment. While many workouts are meant to just be done with bodyweight, this one requires hand weights to make it even more effective. "The added weight will challenge you to keep your ribs knitted and in turn strengthen your core to prevent a sway back and the overhead press will help to strengthen the shoulders to keep forward shoulder posture at bay" explains Dong. Ready to get started? Follow along with this 10 Minute Dancer Arms Workout to improve your posture and have fun while doing so:
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