Improving your posture will enable you to stand taller, look slimmer and feel more confident. Try these effective moves by personal trainer Anne-Marie Lategan.
Four-point abdominal brace
![Four point abdominal brace](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/1-Four-point-abdominal-brace.jpg)
Four point abdominal brace
Works the core and pelvic floor.
- Kneel on all fours.
- Keep your spine in a neutral position, so that it is neither arched nor rounded.
- Breathe in and allow your stomach to push out without changing your position.
- Slowly exhale and draw your stomach in, sucking it tight as if you are trying to make your belly button touch your spine. Do this without changing position.
- Keep exhaling and drawing the stomach in, and
slowly repeat.
Tips:
- Make sure that your hands are below your shoulders with the elbows soft and your knees directly below your hips.
- As you draw your stomach in and exhale, try not to round your back.
Core rotation
![Core rotation](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/2-core-rotation.jpg)
Core rotation
Works the waist and side muscles
- Lie flat on your back with your spine in a neutral position.
- Place your arms by your sides.
- Lift your legs so that your knees are above the hips
at a 90-degree angle. - Slowly rotate to the left, lowering the knees and hips.
- Brace and pull back to the centre.
- Repeat the exercise, alternating sides.
Tips:
- Try not to elevate your shoulders or lift your head.
- Breathe in as you lower the legs and exhale as you lift.
Braced doorway stretch
![Braced doorway stretch](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/3-braced-doorway-stretch.jpg)
Braced doorway stretch
Works the chest and shoulders
- Stand in the middle of an open doorway with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place your right forearm and hand flat against the side of the doorframe.
- Step forwards slightly with your right foot until you feel a stretch through your chest and the front of your shoulder.
- Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Tip:
Try not to arch your lower back.
Abdominal bridge
![Abdominal Bridge](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/4-abdominal-bridge.jpg)
Abdominal Bridge
Works the core and pelvic floor
- Lie face down on the floor.
- Bring your elbows underneath your shoulders and depress the shoulder girdle.
- As you exhale, suck your stomach in tight and lift your hips from the floor until they are almost the same height as your shoulders.
- Hold this position and keep breathing.
Tips:
- Go through the process slowly. As you pull your stomach in just before you lift, you should feel your stomach tighten.
- Try not to shrug your shoulders. Keep them drawn back and down to make your stomach muscles work harder.
Lat to cobra stretch
![Lat to cobra stretch](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/5-lat-to-cobra-stretch.jpg)
Lat to cobra stretch
Works the upper back, tummy, hip and chest
- Kneel down on the floor.
- Sit your hips back onto your heels and allow your
torso to tip forwards. - Keeping your bottom on your heels, reach forward with your hands and allow your forehead to rest on the floor.
- Walk your hands back in beneath your shoulders.
- Slide your hands forward slightly, lift your hips forwards and position them on the floor so that your chest is lifted, and your shoulders are drawn back.
- Alternate between these two positions, holding each position for 20 to 30 seconds.
Supine glute bridge
![Supine glute bridge](https://womensfitness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/6-supine-glute-bridge.jpg)
Supine glute bridge
Works the lower back, bottom and rear thighs
- Lie flat on your back with your arms
by your sides. - Bend your knees, keeping your feet
flat on the floor. - Push your hips up into the air so that they act as a midpoint for a straight line between your knees and shoulders.
- Slowly straighten your right leg keeping your knees together.
- Bring your right foot back to its original position on the floor and repeat on the other side.
Tips:
- Don’t let your hips drop when you take your foot off the floor.
- Remember to breathe.