We spend a lot of our time these days hunched over (working at a computer, watching TikToks, doomscrolling, etc), and all that poor posture has begun to take its toll. But instead of saying “It be like that sometimes” to the tension in our shoulders and backs, we’ve been working on incorporating exercises for good posture into our daily routine. Enter: this quick upper body workout from Bridget O’Carroll, founder of Studio Qila, the first Indiginous-owned digital fitness platform. The whole routine is just five minutes long, and focuses on shoulder openers, which Bridgette says are great for our posture.
THE ROUTINE:
Reach with rotation
Shoulder rotation
Shoulder press
Half bow
Lateral raise hold
Start kneeling, standing or sitting. Option to use light weights or no equipment.
THE MOVE: REACH WITH ROTATION
How to: Start kneeling, reach both arms out to a “T.” Rotate your palms to face behind you, then slowly bend your elbows, squeeze your shoulder blades behind you, and rotate your palms to face up.
THE MOVE: SHOULDER ROTATION
How to: Glue your elbows to your waistline, palms facing each other, shoulder-width distance apart. Rotate from your shoulder to move your forearms away from each other, keeping your elbows glued to your torso, then slowly return to your original position.
THE MOVE: SHOULDER PRESS
How to: Goal post your arms. Option to stand at a wall and press your elbows, wrists, and backs of your hand into the wall to keep your shoulders nice and open. Extend your arms overhead, then band back down to 90 degrees.
THE MOVE: HALF BOW
How to: Maintain your goal post position, keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle, then drop your hands until they hit the level of your shoulders, and rotate them back up.
THE MOVE: LATERAL RAISE HOLD
How to: Extend your arms to a “T” and hold.
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