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This exercise will strengthen your abdominals and increase hamstring flexibility, alleviating tight hips and lower back muscles.- Start off in the ‘correct’ plank position, where you are in a press up position with your arms completely extended, with palms pressed down firmly into the ground.
- Hold this position for three seconds and then shoot the pelvis into the air, keeping legs straight, bringing your head in line with your arms.
- A mild stretch should be felt down the back of the leg – once you hit this point, return to the plank position and repeat the exercise.
Pump it up
Build this exercise up to 15 repetitions, or hold the plank for longer to make it more difficult
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This move strengthens the deep neck flexors that support neck muscles. It is important to exercise these muscles, as they become easily affected by habits such as looking down at laptops or mobile phones.
- Stand against a wall or door with your heels, bum, back and head touching the wall.
- Start by nodding, making sure that your head does not leave the wall at all times during the movement.
- As you flex the neck you may feel a stretch deep down the upper back as you draw the chin in.
- Your head will slide up the back of the wall as you lengthen the back of your neck, keeping shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly extend your head while looking up, keeping the base of the skull against the wall at all times.
Pump it up
Build up to 15 repetitions
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A controlled spiderman lunge helps mobilise the hip joint, and will increase the flexibility of the hip flexors, lower back and hamstrings. This should immediately improve posture.- Get into the press up position and then bring one foot as close to the outside of your hand as possible, while keeping your foot firmly flat on the floor.
- Don’t worry if the foot doesn’t reach the hand, as this will encourage you to mobilise your hips.
- Hold this for a couple of seconds and repeat on the other side.
Pump it up
Increase to 15 repetitions on each side, focusing on bringing the foot closer to the hand
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Improves mobility in your thorax, or chest region, this move particularly helps with weightbearing activities.
- Get onto your hands and knees and sit back into your heels, ever so slightly bringing your hands just in front of your knees.
- Bring one hand to the side of your head with the elbow out, slowly rotating the torso away from the body.
Pump it up
Try 15 repetitions on each side
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This exercise involves moving the shoulder blades towards the spine, otherwise known as scapular retraction. It particularly improves the effects of having a rounded upper back, known as kyphosis.
- Place the palms of your hands against a wall at shoulder-height and arms’ length.
- Retract your shoulder blades by moving your body forward and then backward to a neutral position, keeping good posture and your shoulders in one place without moving the arms forward.
Pump it up
Try 15 retractions
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This is great for relieving lower back tension.
- Lie on your back in the supine position by bending your knees so that both feet are flat on the floor.
- Drop your knees to one side, keeping your arms out in a T position. If your arm on the opposite side of the direction of the knees rises off the floor, this indicates that you have a tight chest or shoulder mobility issues, and you should seek professional help.
- Repeat by moving your knees from side to side for a total of 30 repetitions.
Pump it up
Increase the number of repetitions
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Superman always saves the day – this exercise is regarded as the most important core moves. If you work at a desk I recommend doing this move every morning and evening. The superman exercise works a wide range of muscles, including the ‘erector spinae’ along the back. There is increasing evidence that weak ‘erector spinae’ muscles correspond to lower back pain.- Protect your lower back by lying on your front with both arms extended above your head.
- Simultaneously raise one arm and the opposite leg keeping them both straight until you feel the core engaged.
- Inhale as you bring them back down to the floor, and repeat the movement again for the designated repetitions before swapping sides.
Pump it up
Try 15 repetitions on each side
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