Want to Improve Your Posture? Exercise
Dr. Tiffany T. Butler | March 15, 2023 | Read Time: 7 minutes
Don’t like your posture? Does your posture suck? Do you want to improve your posture? One way to improve your posture is by exercising. The spine is designed for both static (e.g., stillness, no movement) and dynamic postures. The curve in the spine allows the weight of gravity to be distributed evenly. When structures are injured or damaged it will impact our ability to perform complex tasks such as walking, sitting, and lifting. Therefore, muscle balance is key to good posture, and is often achieved through exercise and stretching.
Bones of the Spine and the Intervertebral Disc (IVD)
The spine consists of hard and soft tissue structures that protect, move, and stabilize the spine.
- Vertebral bodies. There are 33 vertebral bodies that make up the spinal cord. It consists of 7 cervical, 12 thoracics, 5 lumbar, 5 rudimentary sacral (fused as one, making up the sacrum), and 4 rudimentary coccygeal (fused as one).
- Intervertebral Disc (IVD). The IVD function as a ligament, that connects one vertebral body to the other. The IVD is designed to provide cushion to the spine. The spinal disc allows the spine to move through various ranges of motion.
Muscles of the Spine
The spine has 3 layers of muscles:
- Superficial spinal muscles are located just underneath the fat on the back. It includes, the trapezius, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi. These can be observed in bodybuilders (who have a small percentage of body fat), thus making these muscles visible. These muscles will connect to the bones of the scapular (e.g., shoulder blade).
- Intermediate spine muscles are connected to the ribs and are responsible for the movement of the rib cage. They consist of the serratus superior and inferior muscles.
- Deep spine muscles are responsible for moving the spinal column in flexion, extension, and rotational movements. They are connected to the spinal vertebrae and function to provide stability to the spine in both, static and dynamic movements. These muscles consist of the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, and multifidus muscles. The deep spine muscles are commonly injured.
Strengthen Your Back Muscles
If you want to improve your posture, you must exercise and strengthen all of the spinal muscle groups including the superficial, intermediate, and deep layers. Moreover, below are a few exercises you can perform to strengthen your back muscles.
Superficial Back Exercises
- Pullups
- Chin-Ups
- Rowing Exercises
- Pulling Exercises
- Reverse Fly
Intermediate Back Muscle Exercises
- Breathing Exercises
Deep Back Muscle Exercises
- Bridge
- Bird Dog
- Back Extension
- Superman
To learn more about back exercises, check out my book, Say Goodbye to Back Pain! Exercise, Nutrition, and More!
Dr. Tiffany T. Butler (aka “The Pain Doctor”) is a chiropractor, author, and entrepreneur. She leads Harmonious Living Chiropractic: Fitness & Wellness Center, a pain management practice, in offering healthcare solutions that focus on patient-centered care. Her team consists of individuals who are passionate about improving patient outcomes by providing chiropractic care, in conjunction with therapeutic procedures. Their services have helped hundreds of people find pain relief and improved their quality of life. To learn more about Dr. Butler visit https://www.drtiffanybutler.com/dr-butler/ Connect with Dr. Butler on social media #drtiffanybutler @drtiffanybutler
