How’s your posture during lockdown?

Slouching too much while you sit at the computer? Neck pain? Tension headaches? Stiff/crunchy shoulders? If you’re currently experiencing these symptoms, don’t delay! Go to your mat and do Prone Cobra’s today !

Let’s face it, staying inside isn’t helping out our posture much.

If you’re working a 9-5  job at home, you have a million things to worry about, and working from home has it’s own set of challenges.

Most of us have multiple Zoom, FaceTime and Skype meetings and multiple other mediums of digital communication we have to keep up with on a day-to-day basis.

If you’re a young parent you might be sitting at home with a newborn or running after your kids all over the house potentially in a hunched position. If this sounds like you and your lifestyle, it means you have to train your body into better anatomical positions in order for things to change.

Prone Cobra’s are great for strengthening forward head posture, strengthening upper back muscles and reducing forward head posture.

Best part of all is that there’s no equipment is required to do this exercise, just you and your bodyweight.

In the video below I go through some instructions and different holds for your training and injury history. Here’s some tips for best success.

1. Keep the neck neutral, with your eyes looking to the floor with your thumbs turned towards the ceiling. This will keep the neck long without causing strain as you rise up. This will keep your spine properly aligned.
2. Keep a strong brace in your glutes keeping your feet together. Ideally at 75-100 % !
3. Pull shoulders back and down to engage the mid-back muscles and stabilizers. (rhomboids and lower trapezius)
4. Lift your torso just enough so that your chest is hovering off the floor.
5. Repeat this 3-5x – 15-30 seconds.
6. Watch the video for more detailed explanation and cuing and time considerations.

Doing Prone Cobra’s will help with keep your spine aligned, and will stimulate the nervous system. If you have chronic back pain, I encourage you to watch the video as I run through some correctives that are critical for avoiding injury.

Additional contraindications (meaning don’t do if these conditions are present) are:

• If you have severe back problems relating to the spine avoid this pose.
• If you have neck problems relating to spondylitis (inflammation of the spine) avoid this posture.
• If you’re currently pregnant women you should avoid this yoga pose given that this position stretches the lower abdomen which can cause injury, especially if the spine is not aligned correctly.
• If you have severe asthma, avoid this pose and work on breathing techniques through pranayama (breath control that connects the body and mind) before attempting Cobra Pose.

Getting in quality movement doesn’t mean crushing yourself with gruelling workouts each time you want to exercise, sometimes it’s about taking the approach of what your body needs at the present moment and moving forward from there.

Sean Beckford is an American/Canadian CSCS- (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) through the NSCA, a registered yoga instructor (RYT), and a Fascial Stretch Therapist (FST) through Stretch-to-Win. He is a health enthusiast who works to help men & women live, healthier, happier and stronger lives. His philosophy is to turn your weaknesses into strengths.