In today’s society, it is easy to fall
victim to poor posture, whether it’s from sitting at a desk all day or a sedentary
lifestyle on the weekends. The good news is that slumped shoulders and a curved
or hunched back can be improved through regular exercise with a kettlebell. Kettlebell training can help strengthen the muscles
that are causing you to slump over in your chair. There are several muscle
groups in the body that effect posture and by working these areas through kettlebell movements
and you can improve your posture in a short amount of time each week. Kettlebell workouts
can help!
Fix #1 – Strengthening
Weak Glutes
Your glutes consist of three
different muscle groups, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus
minimus. Apart from being important for padding, these muscles also stabilize
your pelvis, and if they are weak, it leads to poor posture while sitting or
standing. When sitting, weak glutes cause an over activity in the hamstrings
that creates a backwards tilt of the pelvis. When you have a slight pelvis
tilt, the back and shoulders follow by slumping forward. Over time, this will
leave you hunched over and in jeopardy of developing chronic back pain.
There are many kettlebell exercises
that strengthen the glutes, however, one of the most effective exercises is the
kettlebell swing. Incorporating even 15 minute increments of kettlebell swings
into your daily routine can reverse the effects of poor posture by
strengthening the muscles. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet
slightly wider than shoulder width apart with an overhand grip position on the
kettlebell with both hands. Bending at the hips with back straight, let the
kettlebell fall slightly behind your legs, then squeezing your gluteal muscles
and using your hips, swing the kettlebell up and away from your body. As the kettlebell descends, keep tension in
your glutes to control the downward swing. End the movement by bending at your
hips as the kettlebell swings back to its original position behind your legs.
Fix #2 – Straightening
a Rounded Back
When your glutes are weak and cause
a pelvic tilt while sitting, the muscle groups in your lower back compensate by
creating a curvature or rounding. To counteract this rounding, it’s important to focus on
strengthening the muscles that run along your spine. Without strength training
of these muscle groups, chronic lower back pain (from a forward pelvic tilt
resulting in curvature) or upper back pain (from a backward pelvic tilt causing
rounding) can result.
To help correct this pelvic tilt and
strengthen lower and upper back muscles, the kettlebell deadlift can be
executed a few times a week. To begin, start with your feet shoulder width
apart with an overhand grip on the kettlebell using both hands. Begin the
movement by pulling your glutes backward and keeping your back straight as you
bend forward at the hips. Your mid and lower back with have to stabilize you
throughout the movement, as you push your hips toward the back of the room.
Come up to an upright position the same way, keeping slight tension in your
back, glutes and hamstrings and finishing by standing tall with shoulders back.
Fix #3 – Pulling
Your Shoulders Back
Rolled over and hunched shoulders
are more likely a cause of muscle weakness than a lack of flexibility, however
both should be addressed. When the glutes aren’t engaged and the pelvis tilts causing curvature of
the spine, the shoulders also move into a forward position. To address this
issue and avoid upper back pain, it’s important to strengthen the muscles of your
shoulders so that they are in the appropriate position while sitting and
standing.
One of the best kettlebell exercises
for the shoulders is the kettlebell military press. This can be done using two
kettlebells and both hands or just utilizing one kettlebell. For the beginner,
it is suggested that you stick with a solo kettlebell, warming up with 8-10
reps of 3 sets to engage the shoulder muscles. Begin by cleaning a kettlebell
to your shoulder with your palm and wrist facing forward. Press the kettlebell
up and out until it is locked out above your head. With control, lower the
kettlebell back to your shoulder and repeat. Be sure to engage the muscles of
your glutes, core and latissimus dorsi (located in your upper back).
Kettlebell exercises are effective
because the majority of these routines train your entire body. When you are
executing the kettlebell swing specifically, you are not only engaging the
glutes but the abs, core, back, shoulders and hamstrings. All of these muscles
work together, become stronger and increase in flexibility over time. This
creates better posture and decreases your likelihood of dealing with chronic
pain. For those of us with office jobs, who are forced to sit a desk for long
periods of time, these workouts can greatly improve your posture and reduce
pain.
If you are looking for a kettlebell
to use during your workouts, the experts at Kettlebell Kings can help. We are
the foremost experts in the industry and are more than happy to assist you in
finding the kettlebell weight and size that works best for your end goals. Call
us at 855-7KETTLE today or visit our blog at blog.kettlebellkings.com to find out more about our products and free kettlebell workouts you can do at home.
