Improve Posture and Build Strength With One Simple Addition

In today’s world we deal with a lot of pain. From knees to hips to shoulders, people are suffering from aches and pains. Some of these may be caused by direct injuries but for many of you out there pain is a result of poor posture.

We sit all day, we slouch for comfort, and we move without thought. All of these actions are a detriment to our posture and our overall health. Learning to move correctly and becoming more cognizant of how we position ourselves is a must when improving our bodies and that takes time. To speed the process we can start training in the gym in a way that will help improve posture and strengthen the muscles needed.

Anterior pelvic tilt (sway back, duck butt, etc.) is a common posture I see in many of my clients and people in the public. Sway back is a result of a weak set of abs and weak buttocks with overactive hip flexors and lower back. A result of sitting for extended periods of time, this posture causes back pain, hip pain, and creates a poor setup for getting stronger.

To start to improve this misalignment we should look at lengthening the hip flexors (muscles at the front of the hip) and strengthening the butt and abs. Along with this, being aware of how we stand and sit can help, standing or sitting tall with the hips in a neutral setting.

The Hip Bridge

An exercise I love for not only correcting this posture but also creating great strength and a good-looking buttocks is the glute bridge. This exercise helps to activate the butt as well as the hamstrings and get the pelvis back to a neutral position. It is also quite versatile as it can be done on the floor, progressed to a bench, and then altered to be single leg or both. Weight can also be added to create more strength and more challenge.

To get started, place your back across a bench at shoulder blade height. With both feet flat on the ground at hip to shoulder width, extend the hips by squeezing the butt. The movement should finish where a straight line is formed between the shoulders and knees. Drop the hips back down and repeat. I personally like higher volume sets on this exercise; sets of 12-20 with a challenging load. Start adding this exercise in with both feet and eventually progress to single leg variations.

Glute Bridge

Posture Creates Strength

Start focusing on correcting your posture and everything else will start to improve. Strength gains will be made, joints will feel better, and better posture leads to a better look. Add this exercise in to your routine while also paying more attention to your daily positions and I promise you will start to notice a change. Improve the base to build the body you have dreamed of.