Balanced Workout For Good Posture
Balanced Workout For Good Posture
A great way to approach your workouts, especially if you are just looking to lose weight or improve your general fitness, is to do workouts with your whole body in mind. You can keep a general target zone of the upper or lower body.
If you combine these strength-based moves with some of your favorite cardio such as walking, running, cycling, or rowing, you will have a full-body routine that can be your go-to balanced body favorite.
Here we show you some great exercise pairs that you can use on days when finding balance is important to you:
Shoulder Press & Lat Pulldown
Shoulder Press with Dumbbells
Muscles worked: Shoulders and arms (deltoids, triceps, and biceps)
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms out, bent at the elbow. Extend your arms above your head. Lower and repeat.
Lat Pulldown
Muscles worked: Middle of the back (lats)
You can do a lat pulldown using the machine specifically for this at the gym. Don’t be afraid to ask the gym staff for help if this is your first time doing a lat pulldown. If you don’t have access to a lat machine at the gym, you can substitute by doing a wide grip pull-up instead.
Crunches & Superman Lifts
Crunches
Muscles worked: Abs (rectus abdominals)
Superman Lifts
Muscles worked: lower back (erector spine)
Lie face down on your stomach with arms and legs extended. Keeping your arms and legs straight, lift up towards the ceiling, creating an arch in your back. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down. Repeat as necessary.
Squats & Leg Curls
Squats
Muscles worked: Front of the legs and butt (quadriceps and glutes)
There are so many variations on squats. To do a traditional squat, plant your feet on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Squat down so that it’s like you’re sitting on a chair, and then come back up to standing.
Stability Ball Leg Curls
Muscles worked: Back of the legs and butt. (hamstring and glutes)
Start out by lying down on your back with your legs straight out, heels on a stability ball. Contract your glutes, raising your hips, pulling your heels towards your body. Extend your legs and repeat. If you don’t have a ball, you can work the same muscles by doing a simple bridge pose with your heels up on a bench.
Bench Press & Bent Over Row
Bench Press
Muscles worked: Chest and back of the arms (pecs and triceps)
Lie flat on a bench with your choice of weights in either hand. Raise your hands from the shoulder area straight ahead. They should be in clear view. Lower back down.
Bent-Over Row
Muscles worked: Upper back and front of the arms (rhomboids, posterior deltoid traps, and biceps)
Stand leaning slightly forward with knees bent, arms straight towards the floor. With your weights in both hands, slowly pull them in towards your chest. Straighten and repeat to complete a set.
Stretching helps you maximize your body’s ability to move freely. It helps you get out of your own way internally so your body can perform at its best. Stretching before and after your workout is essential for helping with injury prevention, as tight soft tissue can restrict joint movements and hinder important tendons from effectively doing their job.