A Strength and Conditioning Specialist Shares a Four-Move Workout for Better Posture

How’s your posture? Chances are, it’s not great. All that slouching isn’t just a bad look; it drags down athletic performance, too. “How we move in daily life directly crosses over to patterns in sports,” says Heidi Greenwood, a certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Building strength and mobility in key areas, such as the shoulders, hips, and back, can boost efficiency and reduce injury risk in many activities. Reap those benefits with this workout, which Greenwood developed for Outside.

4 Exercises to Improve Your Posture

After you perform each move, rest for 30 to 60 seconds before moving on to the next one. After you complete all four, rest one to three minutes, then repeat the circuit once or twice. Do this two times a week to see results.

1. T-Spine Mobility Foam Roll

Benefits of doing this move: boosts upper-back mobility

How to do it:

Before performing this move, you’ll need to get into your starting position. To do so: lie flat on your back, with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground. Place a foam roller beneath your shoulder blades, keeping your tailbone on the ground. Now you’re ready.

• Clasp your hands behind your head, elbows wide.
• Exhale as you push your shoulders toward the ground; try to touch your elbows to the floor.
• Hold for five seconds, then return to the starting position.
• That’s one rep. Do five.

2. Overhead Broomstick Squat

Benefits of doing this move: improves both shoulder and hip mobility

How to do it:

• Stand tall, your feet in line with your hips.
• Hold a broomstick over your head so your arms form a wide V shape. (Note: you can use another object that’s shaped like a broomstick if you don’t have a broom handy.)
• Pinch your shoulder blades together, then slowly bend your knees down into a squat.
• Pause for a second when your thighs are parallel with the floor, then push through your heels and slowly return to the standing position.
• That’s one rep. Do eight.

3. Cobra Press-Up

Benefits of doing this move: lengthens the spine and hip flexors

How to do it:

• Lie on your stomach, with your palms on the ground, arms slightly wider than your shoulders, and your elbows bent and pointing outward.
• Inhale, then exhale and press through your palms to straighten your arms as much as you can.
• Relax your glutes as you press up. Hold for five to ten seconds, then release.
• That’s one rep. Do eight.

4. Split-Squat Row

Benefits of doing this move: strengthens shoulder-blade extensor muscles, the core, and legs

How to do it: There are three parts to this move—do ten reps each, with some rest in between. Start by wrapping a handled resistance band around an anchor point at hip height. Grab the handles and step far enough back that you feel tension in the band. From here, lower into a split-squat position: legs bent to 90 degrees, one foot in front of your body and the other behind. Keep this position for each movement.

• First, grip the handles with your thumbs pointing up and your knuckles facing out. Extend your arms in front of you, then slowly pull the handles to your hips, elbows close to your torso.
• Next, form 45-degree angles with your elbows as you pull the handles to chest level.
• Finally, keep your palms down, forming 90-degree angles with your elbows as you pull the handles to shoulder level.

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