You’ve heard about good posture since childhood, including the common advice to “stand tall.” You’re also familiar with “bad” postural habits: slumping your chest and drooping your neck forward while you scroll on your phone, hunching your shoulders and rounding your back during your daily commute.
No matter how many times you’ve heard about good and bad posture, you may still be confused about what exactly good posture means.
Simply put, posture is the way our body is held in space. And contrary to popular belief, it is not just one static point of view. “The best posture is one that moves,” says Anji Gopal, yoga teacher and The BackCare expert. “So don’t sit or stand in a certain shape for too long.”
It’s ironic then that you can spend hours in the gym or on the yoga mat correcting the details of your posture in Down Dog or Warrior 2; but if your inner desk gremlin returns the moment you sit back down, those changes won’t feel sustainable.
That’s why yoga is not only a great tool for improving posture on the mat, but also in your everyday life.
Why posture is important
Many people already know that they need to work on their posture. The problems that poor posture can cause in the body include pain, stiffness and muscle spasms. For example, constantly shrugging your shoulders when you feel stressed can cause back pain, shallow breathing, weak upper back muscles (which are important postural muscles), and more.
Another common pitfall is collapsing your pelvis, which easily happens when you slump on a couch, office chair or car seat. “When the pelvis is collapsed, the entire spine is pulled out of its natural alignment,” says Esther Gokhale, L.Ac., founder of the Gokhale methoda system for improving posture. “This seemingly subtle distortion is actually the root of many other, more recognizable postural problems.” These include rounded shoulders, a forward head (ever heard of a technical neck?) and a rounded upper back.
Another danger is swaying of the back, which is often done as an overcorrection for a slumped posture. Swayback involves a large inward curve in your low back from a forward-tilted pelvis, and an arched mid and upper back. Over time, swayback can compress the discs and nerves in your lower back and lead to other spinal problems, Gokhale says. This is why paying attention to less than optimal postural habits yields strong results.
8 yoga poses to improve your posture
Practicing yoga can support your posture, especially if you practice it regularly. It helps strengthen the overlooked muscles that support your alignment and draws your attention to your posture on and off the mat.
“The real postural benefits come from integrating these movements into everyday life,” says Gopal. Roll your shoulders back while sitting at your desk or standing at your counter. Hinge from your hips as you bend over to open a drawer. Avoid hitting your lower back as you reach up to grab a coffee mug from a high shelf. And of course, don’t forget to put your phone down to give your neck a break.
The following yoga poses, especially when practiced regularly, can support your posture. Practice them as a series for a short posture-focused flow, add them to your existing practice, or choose a few to try each day.
1. Rolling cat
This is a bit of a departure from the more common Cat-Cow pose you might be familiar with in yoga class. It stretches the front and back of the spine while allowing the surrounding muscles to move, says Gopal.
How: Start in child’s pose. Inhale as you come to your hands and knees, lift your chest and arch your back into Cat Pose. Exhale as you lower your hips back to child’s pose. Repeat 3-5 times.
2. Baby cobra
A step between the Sphinx and Cobra pose, but a pose in itself, is Baby Cobra. It can support a healthy spine from front to back and bottom to top.
“The meeting point of the ‘butt’ and the back often becomes stiff after years of contracting the pelvis,” Gokhale explains. This gentle backbend helps restore mobility.
How: Lie on your stomach and press the tops of your feet into the mat. Place your palms on either side of your ribs, with your elbows pointed back. Inhale and lift your head and chest slightly off the mat, pressing your hip bones into the mat and pulling your front ribs together in Baby Cobra. Stay here for 5-10 breaths and then release.
3. Upward salute
Also known as Urdhva Hastasana, this pose is a staple of the Sun Salutation and the basis for many standing poses. It seems simple, but it is anything but.
“Urdvha Hastasana is one Great posture to realign, center and ground, and also to stretch,” says Gopal.
How: Stand at the front of your mat with your feet together or hip-distance apart. Visualize yourself pointing your tailbone toward the mat as you inhale and raise your arms above your head, palms facing each other in an upward salute. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
4. Chair position
Do you ever find yourself leaning your hips forward against a counter for support, or locking your knees when you stand? These tendencies may be a sign of underused postural muscles, which help support your spine and keep your body upright.
“Chair pose (Utkatasana) is my favorite recommendation for people [who do these things]” says Gokhale. It targets the same muscles you use to stand. “This makes it a powerful training ground for healthy standing,” she adds.
How: Stand with your feet and knees together. Inhale and raise your arms above your head, with your palms facing each other. Exhale and bend your knees into chair pose. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
5. Warrior 1
A properly aligned Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana I) can be a great tool to improve your posture, especially to improve your gait or gait.
“A straight rear leg, engaged rear glute, grounded rear heel and bent front knee all reflect the essential elements of a healthy stride,” says Gokhale. According to Gookhale, a surprising percentage of the population adopts unhealthy walking patterns, and yoga can help reintroduce healthy walking mechanics.
How: Stand facing the front of the mat and plant one foot about a leg’s length behind you and rotate your back foot slightly outward. Bend your front knee so that it is above your front ankle. Keep your back knee straight. Turn your chest towards your front knee.
To maintain healthy posture, Gokhale recommends leaning your torso slightly forward to prevent your lower back from swaying. Inhale and reach your arms above your head with your palms parallel to each other in Warrior 1. Look forward and down. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
6. Standing forward bend with wide legs
Commonly known as Prasarita Padottanasana, this forward fold gives your spine more room to move while also allowing you to practice safe bending (both on and off the mat!). By bending forward with a flat back and keeping the movement focused on the rotation of your pelvis, you protect your spine.
How: Face the long side of the mat and place your feet 3-4 feet apart. Take your index and middle fingers and press them against your hips. Inhale and lift your chest. Exhale and bend forward at your hips, avoiding your back. It may be more comfortable to turn your feet slightly outward to provide more room to lower your chest. Bring your hands to the mat or blocks in Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
7. Bridge pose
Sitting at your desk or in your car all day can round your back and tighten your hip flexors. Practicing Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) can help reverse these effects, and strengthen your legs and glutes.
How: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat. Inhale as you press down on your feet and lift your hips off the mat. Keep your arms at your sides. If it is comfortable, roll your shoulders under you and keep your arms straight and clasp your hands together in Bridge Pose. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
8. Restorative Fish Pose
What makes this variation of Fish Pose (Matsyasana) extra restorative is the support of props. The gentle backbend again helps to “undo the stooped posture,” says Gopal.
How: Place one block at the highest position at the front of the mat and another block at the middle position, a few inches in front of it. Place a pillow or a long, firm cushion or sofa cushion on the blocks. Sit with your hips at the edge of the rack, against the mat, and lie back. For more support, place a folded blanket or pillow under your hips. Lie down with your arms relaxed at your sides or rest them on blocks or pillows. Straighten your legs or bend your knees in the Restorative Fish Pose. Rest here, breathing deeply, for 3-5 minutes.
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