Lose Your Belly by Improving Your Posture

Lose Your Belly by Improving Your Posture

It sounds easy to say but your posture determines other people's perceptions of you. 'Don't slouch'. I must have heard it a thousand times as a kid but it wasn't until later in life that I realized just how important those words were. And what is important is not just standing up straight, but how each part of the body relates to others.

I'm sure that most people know the kid's song where the shoulder bone is connected to your back bone, but how many of us really take the message to heart? Of course we know that as far as the skeleton goes it's accurate; but that really isn't the point. A human body is a set of interrelated components and a change in one part of the body will affect others. So it makes sense that your posture will affect the way that your stomach appears, and the underlying strength in your muscles will naturally affect the way that you stand.

Stand up and sit up straight!

So the initial step to improving the way your stomach looks is to stand and sit straight. This stretches your back muscles and lengthens your stomach lines but it also has other effects. A decent posture will strengthen your back, strengthen your 'girdle' - the circle of muscles around your midriff - and improve your health. Just sitting and standing up straighter strengthens your abdominal muscles giving a firmer, more toned appearance. And lastly, a decent posture makes it more likely that the blood flow, to all parts of your body including your legs and back - each of which are integral to many abdominal and stomach exercises - and can add years to your life.

Back Extension

Done properly even a moderate amount of exercise can improve your posture, and completing back extensions is an ideal way to achieve this. To start this you need to lie on the floor face down, ideally on a mat or a towel. With arms by your side palms up use your back muscles to lift your upper body from the floor until your back is arched. Hold the contraction briefly then release and slowly lower your upper body back to the floor. Repeat this as a full set.

Then, still lying on the floor but face up this time straighten your arms above your head until they are fully extended. Then using your stomach and back muscles lift both legs off the floor at the

same time. Hold your legs a few inches from the floor for a few seconds then lower them slowly.

Carrying out these two exercises will help you to strengthen your back muscles, enhance your abdominal muscles and straighten your posture. They are excellent simple steps to help rid yourself of an unwanted belly.

As with all exercise routines make sure that you consult a medical professional before you begin and always stretch and warm up fully to avoid injury.