Poor Posture

We found these great perfect posture tips from Take It Off Weight Loss.

Spring your traps. Target this back muscle for an instant posture boost.

Think of your trapezius – the slab of fibers that starts at the base of your skull and extends across your shoulder blades - as the anti-hunchback muscle. When it is strong, it keeps your shoulder blades down, so you look longer and leaner. The following moves will get you there. Add these moves to your strength workout once a week.

Shrug – Grab a 5 to 15 pound dumbbell in each hand, and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. With your arms at your sides, lift shoulders toward your ears. Hold for 5 seconds, and then lower. Repeat for 1 minute.

Trap Walk – Get on a treadmill with a 5 to 10 pound dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and raise them to shoulder height with palms facing forward. Walk at an easy pace, and bring your forearms toward each other and back out with the rhythm of your footsteps. Continue for one minute. Next, start in the same arm position, but raise them straight up then pull them down in time with your steps for one minute. Last, combine the moves for a minute: in, out, up, down. That is one set. Do 4 sets, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between each.

Overhead Press - Grab a 3 to 8 pound dumbbell with both hands, and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Lift your right foot behind you, so it is a foot off the floor. Raise the dumbbell overhead. Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind you. Press it back up. Repeat for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. That is one set. Do 3 to 5 sets with 30 seconds of rest in between each.

High-Low – Standing with your feet about hip-width apart, hold the end of a 3 to 8 pound dumbbell straight above your head. Bend at your hips, and lower the dumbbell toward the floor, keeping your elbow straight. Touch the floor, and then reverse the arc until the dumbbell is overhead. That is 1 rep. Do 3 to 5 sets of 12 to l5 reps, resting 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

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