Brent Bishop's tips to perfect your posture

Great posture reduces the chance of injury, enhances muscular balance but it also helps exude confidence. As we know, hours of sitting wreaks havoc on our bodies and is associated with numerous health issues. From a postural standpoint, hip flexors and internal rotators of the shoulder become tight and shortened. The glutes and back muscles, which are are responsible for good posture, become inactive and lengthened.

The Solution – release the front of the body and activate/strengthen the back of the body.

Tips for postural awareness

Stand More – try a stand-up desk at work

Minimize high heel shoes – high heels shorten your calves/Achilles, which can compromise your posture over time.

Create movement triggers – anything that can trigger you to stand up more often (i.e. always stand up when answering the phone or set your computer alarm every 25 min).

Monitor movement – try incorporating an activity tracker into your days and aim for 10,000 steps/day.

Release tight muscles – using myofascial release tools such as a foam roller or massage ball can help release tight hip flexors, pecs and calves.

Train your backside – try incorporating a 2 to 1 ratio of posterior to anterior exercise (i.e. work your backside twice as much as your front).

Posture Workout

YTW – rotator cuff, deltoids and trapezius

Stand with knees bent, feet shoulder width apart and hinged over from the hips so that upper body is parallel to the ground. Ensure core tight, neutral low back and head position. Hold straight arms up in a Y position for two seconds, then move to a T position (hold for two sec), then finish by bending elbows so that they are tucked to the rib cage (W position) and hold for two seconds. Drop arms down and bring them back up to the Y position to repeat sequence.

Bear crawl – multi-dimensional core stability.

On all fours (shoulders above wrists and hips above knees) with knees about 1-2 inches off the ground. Keep your core tight and hips stable. Move your right hand and left foot then repeat with left hand and right foot.

Scorpion – low/mid/upper back, shoulders, glutes, hamstrings

Lie face down in superman position (arms and legs extended) with thumbs up. Elevate your upper body off the ground. Hold that position, while sweeping your straight right arm to the side and behind the your back while simultaneously bending your left knee. The goal is to touch your left foot with your right hand. Move back to the starting position and complete another rep using the left arm and hand and your right foot.

Rear delt trio – rotator cuff, low/mid/upper back

Stand with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart and hinged over from the hips so that your upper body is parallel to the ground. Make sure that your core is tight and maintain a neutral low back and head position. Hold light weights in your hands towards the ground with your arms slightly bent and palms facing each other. Raise the weights out to the side without changing elbow angle and while drawing mid-shoulder blades together. Return to bottom position then face palms towards your legs. Raise the weights out to the side in this hand position then return to bottom position. Finally, turn your palms to face away from legs and repeat movement.

Deadlift – Glutes, hamstrings, core, back

Stand with the barbell in your hands, knees bent, core engaged and feet shoulder width apart. While maintaining neutral lumbar spine, chest high and shoulders back – slowly hinge forward from the hips. Bend your knees and allow the bar to lower (with straight arms) to approximately mid-shin. The bar should remain as close to the body as possible. While maintaining an engaged core, drive your heels into the ground (loading hamstrings) and return to the start position, contracting your glutes at the top of the movement.

Equipment