The opinions expressed herein are the guest's alone and have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician. If you have a question about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is meant for informational purposes only.
Question: What are some good exercises I can do to improve my posture?
Answer: If you slump or have forward head posture, try to lift your head up by inhaling and lifting your chest. This will put your head on top of your shoulders and reduce the stress on the traps from forward head posture. You can also try stretching your neck muscles by standing or sitting straight up and dropping your ear to your shoulder. You can even pull it gently to the left with your left hand toward the shoulder (right hand behind your back) and then reverse, making sure to keep your head looking forward (don't twist your neck).
Other stretches for the upper body will help, like arm circles and pulling your arm across the chest. If you lift weights, focus more on upper back exercises than chest exercises.
Richard Weil, MEd, CDE, is an exercise physiologist and certified diabetes educator. He has published dozens of articles on exercise and health and has appeared on many television programs. He also speaks about health at many national conferences.