Yoga Exercises for Improving Posture

We’ve all been taught to keep our backs straight since childhood, but not everyone follows this rule. The reasons can vary – spinal diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, weak back muscles, and so on. To address possible causes of poor posture, try incorporating simple yoga routines into your life.

You can do them at home on your own, in just a few minutes, but if you practice yoga regularly, the effect will be evident.

Yoga exercises for good posture

You will need: a yoga mat, a yoga strap (you don’t even need to buy special equipment, you can use a towel instead), bolsters, and some free time. And yes, our video lessons – they will help you perfect the correct technique, choose the right sequence of asanas, and boost your positive spirit.

Marjariasana

This asana is better known as Cat Pose – it is considered one of the most effective poses to improve posture and strengthen the muscles of the torso and back.

• Get on all fours on the mat, evenly distributing your weight between your straightened arms and knees.
• Slowly arch your back upwards from the chest to the tailbone.
• Then curve your back, directing your ribs downwards, tailbone up, and head back.
• Alternate these exercises for a few minutes.

Virasana

Better known as Hero Pose. It helps your muscles ‘acclimate’ to the correct position and keep your back straight.

• Sit on your knees, placing your buttocks between your feet on the floor.
• Straighten your back, open your chest.
• Stretch your spine upwards, remembering proper breathing.

This asana, combined with other poses that correct posture and elongate the spine (such as Adho Mukha Svanasana and Paschimottanasana), works excellently for posture issues.

Virabhadrasana

The Hero pose should not be confused with the Warrior pose—Virabhadrasana. Pregnant women may prefer variations of this asana that do not cause discomfort. For example, the Warrior pose ‘standing with legs wide apart.’

• Place your feet about a meter apart.
• Turn your right foot to the right.
• Raise your arms parallel to the floor, palms facing up.
• Tighten your buttocks and legs, and squat on your right leg.
• Hold this pose for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.
• Then repeat the exercise on the left leg.

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Bhujangasana

Or, as it is also known – Dragon Pose, or Snake Pose. It helps strengthen the muscles located along the spine as well as the trapezius muscles.

• This pose is performed from a lying position
• Legs stretched, hands resting on the floor under the shoulders
• On exhale, the body is lifted, arms slightly bent

The main thing in this asana is to maintain the correct technique, not to pull the shoulders to the ears, and not to lift the pubic bone from the floor.

Moreover, it should not be done in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, but it is quite suitable for practice after childbirth.

It is best to practice these asanas together as a set. Targeting different muscle groups, they contribute to strengthening the torso, developing muscles, and flexibility of the spine. Here is a small set of exercises for the back and good posture.

• Light warm-up: pay special attention to the shoulder girdle, arms, and lower back
• Dynamic Marjariasana: rounding and arching the back
• Push-ups: keep your elbows along the line of your back
• Torso rolls: get on your elbows and knees, extend your legs from this position, make circular movements with your torso
• And once again, Marjariasana: compensate for arching the spine with Cat pose, arching your back up first, then down

This is a very comfortable and leisurely yoga sequence for posture that can be practiced at any trimester of pregnancy and with any level of fitness.

Remember, it is important to first develop the correct technique; flexibility and muscle strengthening will follow gradually. If you feel severe discomfort, you should stop the exercise. For proper technique, we recommend practicing asanas under the guidance of an instructor or by studying video lessons on our website. Yoga sessions should bring enjoyment and tranquility, especially for pregnant women and new moms.