Weekend Challenge: Seated Posture Corrector

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
4 min Read

If you’re sitting down as you read this message, you can stay in your chair for this weekend’s exercise, the Seated Posture Corrector. It’s a low-impact move designed to increase the range of motion in your shoulders, align your vertebrae, and expand your rib cage.

In essence, this exercise improves posture, which, as studies have shown, is instrumental in improving balance and avoiding falls. It engages the upper body, above the hips, something that might surprise you, since balance exercises typically focus primarily on the lower body (and many do).

The Seated Posture Corrector is highly effective at improving balance because it corrects the off-center posture that results from rounded shoulders, Forward Head Posture (FHP), and other postural errors.

Let’s get started!

Why:

Reducing the risk of falls is an important factor in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program’s comprehensive approach to managing osteoporosis. In addition to strengthening the bones, avoiding falls is a key element in preventing fractures, which is the ultimate goal of reversing bone loss.

However, “reducing the risk of falls” is not as simple as it sounds. It actually involves a wide range of preventative and corrective measures, including strengthening muscles, regularly engaging in targeted balance exercises, and correcting posture, to mention a few.

This weekend, we’re focusing on one of these measures, which is attaining proper posture. When you practice poor postural habits such as Forward Head Posture (FHP), slumping, and excessive sitting, the muscles and tissues that normally hold these body parts in the proper position become tight, weak, and stretched, rendering them unable to keep your body in optimal shape and greatly compromising range of motion. This can lead to pain in between the shoulders, in the neck, and anywhere along the spine, as well as kyphosis.

Encouraging research lends scientific credence to the use of postural exercise as a means to stave off pain and improve balance. A study evaluating women over 65 with verified osteoporosis and kyphosis found that participants with compromised balance who underwent the “posture training program” (i.e., postural exercises) “had the most significant improvement in balance.”1

Additionally, these bad postural habits can cause the ribs to compress, preventing you from taking bone-building, alkalizing breaths. Compressed ribs and vertebrae can even have a negative effect on your digestion, cramping the digestive organs and hampering the proper absorption of nutrients.

This weekend’s exercise addresses all of these issues. Here’s how to do it.

How:

  1. Sit down in a chair without arms, a stool, or a bench. If your chair is pulled up to a table, push it back so you have plenty of room in front of you.
  2. Keeping your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight, lean forward at your hips about 45 degrees. Your neck should also be straight so you’re facing the floor (don’t try to look up).
  3. Now bring your arms straight out in front of you. Next, bring them down, back, and around, making big circles. Repeat this 10 to 15 times (as long as you are comfortable).

To complete your posture-correcting workout, we suggest the following Weekend Challenges:

Improving Balance And Avoiding Falls Has Never Been Easier

If you have 15 minutes, three days a week, you can take the necessary steps to improve your balance, correct your posture, build your bones, and reap all the other myriad benefits of regular exercise. This minimal time commitment is all it takes to fully engage in the Densercise Epidensity Training System.

The moves in Densercise can be done even in small spaces, so you can get started right away. The fully illustrated digital manual explains each exercise and describes what areas it targets. And with the Densercise Eating Guide to show you optimal nutrition before and after exercising, and the online demonstration videos to answer any questions you might have about the specifics of each exercise, you’ll be sure to get the full benefits of your daily Densercise routine.

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I hope you’re enjoying and practicing the Weekend Challenges! Please feel free to let us know by leaving a comment below.

Have a great weekend!

References:

1 Lynn, Susan G., M.A. and Sinaki, Mehrsheed, M.D., M.S. “Reducing the Risk of Falls Through Proprioceptive Dynamic Posture Training in Osteoporotic Women with Kyphotic Posturing.” 81. 4. (2002): 241-246. PDF. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Susan_Lynn/publication/11412718_Reducing_the_Risk_of_Falls_Through_Proprioceptive_Dynamic_Posture_Training_in_Osteoporotic_Women_with_Kyphotic_Posturing/links/02e7e53a1983ef1d5f000000.pdf