How many hours a day do you spend sitting? How about reading, using computers, driving, watching TV —all that sitting adds up, especially if you have poor posture (see Is Sitting the New Smoking?). Did you know that lower back pain and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions account for one third of missed work in Canada?
Good posture will help you to…
- Look and feel even better than you already do
- Prevent backaches and muscle pains
- Decrease wear and tear on your joints
- Use less energy for daily tasks
- Increase your spine’s flexibility and resilience
Exercise Recommendations
DISCLAIMER: See your healthcare professional before starting any of my exercise recommendations!
Do you feel constant tension in your neck and shoulders? This series of videos are great for increasing your neck range of motion and improving the function of your spine.
Do you have problems with posture, causing neck and back pain? These exercises will improve your posture, reduce neck and back pain, and ensure optimal function of your spine.
Once you have some improved range of motion and you are moving better, it is time to strengthen your body. See this article for exercises to strengthen shoulders and shoulder blade motor control.
Straighten Up Canada
Canada’s chiropractors have developed an app for that! Straighten Up Canada is a FREE, easy-to-perform posture program that you can use in just three minutes a day. It’s the only free Canadian app specifically designed and completely dedicated to improving posture and spinal health.
The Straighten Up Canada program can be practised almost anywhere and is a great warm up, cool down, stand-alone routine, or ergonomic break.
Straighten Up Canada app features:
- 12 unique posture exercises
- Adult and youth exercise options
- Easy to follow Image stills and video content
- Tracking function
- Set personal reminders
- Track your progress
- Share your posture exercise progress with friends through social media
Watch the Straighten Up Canada exercise videos online
The development of this app has been supported by the CCA and all provincial associations.
What other exercises should I include for optimizing spine function?
Check the list below for some other exercises for optimizing spine function. Start by watching a clip from the first video!
- Walking 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
- Squat more and avoid high heels (see blog post).
- 3 Exercises to Get into the Best Shape of Your Life
- Sit Less and do this instead.
- Is Sitting the New Smoking? — Tips for how to incorporate intermittent exercise into daily life.
- The Big 3 — Dr Stu McGill’s exercises to build endurance in your spine.
