![500047595 500047595](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/500047595.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
It’s a recipe for rounded shoulders: We sit all day with our heads down, pecking away at keyboards and swiping smartphones. Time to straighten up!
Not only does proper posture strengthen your core and keep your spine in alignment, it can help you stay energized. When you’re hunched forward, you’re in sluggish mode; standing with shoulders back allows you to take deeper, fuller breaths and makes you feel more awake and alert.
Health.com: 14 Reasons You’re Always Tired
To improve your stance, you need to stretch out your shoulders, open up your tight hip flexors and lift your chest. Two of my favorite poses to do just that are Warrior 1 and Triangle with extended arms. Warrior 1 lengthens the front of the thighs, raises the chest and engages the abdominals, while Triangle releases the tightness in the hips and thighs and stretches the waist, shoulders and back muscles, all to support better form.
After doing these moves on both sides, notice how much easier it is to stand with an elongated stature. You may even feel like you grew an inch or two!
Health.com: 13 Everyday Habits That Age You
More from Health.com:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com