With the arrival of summer and ostentation of back-less dresses it time to get your back toned and do away with the side bulge. Little things such as the way we sit at work, or the way we carry our handbag, can have profound effects on our bodies, leading to backache – or worse. Luckily, posture is easily corrected.
The ideal back has a ‘V’ shape – strong, broad shoulders, tapering down to a trim waistline. For this, you need to concentrate on building up the latissimus dorsi, the rhomboids and the trapezius muscles. When you’re performing back-strengthening exercises, try and keep your back straight, and your abdominal muscles pulled in. This gives you a firm central ‘core‘ to work with.
The Y-T-I raises are easy to perform exercises at home to get a well toned back.
Y Raises:
- Lie facing down on the floor on a mat with your arms stretched completely straight and at a 30-degree angle to your body, so they form a Y.
- Palms should be facing each other, so that the thumb side of your hand points up.
- Raise your arms as high as you comfortably can.
- Hold the stretch till 10 and slowly come down and relax.
- Repeat 20 times
T Raises:
- This exercise has to be done lying facing down.
- The arms are out to your sides, that is, perpendicular to your body with the thumb-side of your hand pointing up (towards the ceiling).
- Raise your arms as high as you comfortably can. Hold till 10 and then come down slowly.
- Repeat 20 times.
I Raises:
- Lie down so that your body forms a straight line from your feet to your fingertips.
- Arms should be stretched out in the front with your palms facing each other, with the thumb-side of your hand pointing up.
- Raise your arms as high as you comfortably can, your feet should not leave the floor.
- Hold the stretch for 10 sec. Come back slowly and relax.
Don’t expect to transform yourself from hunched hedgehog to graceful swan overnight. Remember that it’s not always possible to alter bad posture dramatically, but just being aware of any problems is a huge step forward. Cardiovascular exercise along with a reduced calorie diet will provide the best combination for losing fat all over your body- including the back.
Related Links
- Top 10 Standing Shoulder Exercises
- Building Core Strength & Stability
- The Basic Makeover for your Posture
- Top 10 WF favorite Lower-Back stretches
- Targeting for a Shapelier Back
- Top 10 to building a strong lower back