Good or bad posture isn’t genetic. We’re not born with a naturally well-aligned spine that stays that way throughout life. So if you admire someone because of the way they stand, sit or walk, it’s more than likely they’ve worked hard on their posture and it’s now become second nature to them. It’s something we can all achieve with a little guidance!
People seek our help because they’re typically in pain and it’s often stopping them from leading a normal life. Once they receive appropriate care, which can include massage and chiropractic adjustments, they meet our team of personal trainers who handle all aspects of posture rehab. At this point, we aim to slowly train your body into back-healthy habits and prevent recurring injury. We do this through a combination of exercises that target different parts of the body and one of our favourites is the wall angel. This is a great move you can practise at home to improve your posture and shoulder mobility during the current lockdown.
Benefits
The wall angel helps relieve back, shoulder and neck tension. Practising this move daily will improve shoulder and spinal mobility while encouraging good posture.
The Wall Angle: Step by step
- Stand with your back flat against a wall, making sure your head, shoulders and hips lie flat against its surface.
- Bend your knees slightly, with your feet about 10 inches away from the wall.
- Raise your arms to the sides, forming a 90° angle at your elbows with your fingers pointing up.
- Keep the back of your hands, arms and shoulders in contact with the wall.
- Inhale and move your arms upwards as if you were doing a snow angel. Lift them as far as you can.
- Exhale and lower your arms back to 90°
- Repeat 4-5 times
Watch-out for common mistakes
Stick to a pain free zone. This exercise is sneakily challenging and you might push your body past its comfort zone. You can expect a little tension in your muscles but we always maintain that you shouldn’t stretch or exercise into pain.
This exercise works on your posture and you want to maintain a neutral spine and avoid any back-arching or neck-bending.
The wall angel is a dynamic stretch but you don’t want to rush through it. Try to build a gradual flow as you inhale and exhale.