The Best Stretches and Strength Moves to Fix Computer Posture

I had a Zoom call with one of my newsletter readers.

He made a great point about computer posture.

Fixing Computer Posture: The Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily — There are 3 stretches and strength moves that have given me the most results, when it comes to decreasing my computer pain and tension.

He said…

“The 1 hour we spend in the gym at night, is really no match for the 8 hours we spend at a computer.”

It made me think…

To reverse my computer-related muscle tension…

What are the most valuable ways I can spend that short amount of time?

This article will talk about my 3 favorite ways to stretch, strengthen, and reverse muscle tension (that was caused by sitting at a computer).

Fixing Computer Posture: The Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily

Yoga Cactus Pose on the Floor for Better Posture

Cactus pose is very popular in yoga. It’s usually done while standing up, with arms at 90 degree angles. Like a cactus.

I do a modified version of it. It’s the same pose, except I do it laying flat on the floor. It’s a light-intensity, long-duration hold. Which in my opinion, is the best way to counter balance slouching forward at a computer (for 8 hours a day).

Yoga Cactus Pose | Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily — Here’s an example of a yoga cactus pose for better posture (while laying on the ground).

I hold this cactus stretch for long durations. Up to 5 minutes at a time.

I started off just doing 1 minute. But the longer I’m in this position, the more it releases my excessive internal shoulder rotation (caused by holding a keyboard and mouse). It’s the best stretch I’ve found for relieving that shoulder overuse.

I always focus on my breathing while doing this pose. I make sure to breathe slower and deeper. In and out through my nose. That’s just my personal preference, because I’m a recovering mouth breather. And doing nasal-only breath work helps me relax my jaw and face muscles more.

As I breathe, I let gravity pull my arms and shoulders down. Allowing them to “melt” into the floor, more and more as the minutes go by.

This also helps my spine pull back into its neutral position. Because when I’d slouch forward at a computer, my vertebrae would turn forward slightly. Even when I left my computer for the day, my spine would still be pulled into that compromised position by my muscle tension.

computer posture checklist — My Computer Posture Checklist contains all 27 posture cues I use, for both sitting and standing at a computer with good posture. Whenever you’re ready, snag yours here.

Yoga Stick Stretch to Reverse Slouching for Computer Users

In the below image, I’m doing a stretch with a yoga stick (that I bought on Amazon).

yoga stick stretch | Best Stretches and Strength Moves I Use Daily — This yoga stick stretch is the best stretch I’ve found for my upper back. Which used to be hyperextended (and lengthened) from slouching forward at a computer for long periods of time.

Side note: None of the items in this article are paid promotion. They are inexpensive products that I paid my own money for. They both helped release my computer tension and improve my posture.

I do this stretch with my yoga stick for usually 30 to 60 seconds. It’s great for my upper back and shoulders. It counter balances the tension I have from slouching forward at my computer.

I make sure to focus on my breathing during all stretches. But especially this one. Because it’s a stretch I’ve never felt before.

I want to increase the amount of air going into my lungs, as well as the amount of time that air spends in my lungs. Ironically, this means taking less number of breaths, by breathing slower and deeper than normal.

How the Steel Mace 360 Fixes Computer Posture

If I could only do 1 strength exercise for the rest of my life, it would be the “steel mace 360.”

A steel mace is shaped like a kettlebell, except it doesn’t have the same handle. Instead, the weight is at the end of a barbell-style rod. A steel mace is also commonly referred to as a macebell.

Regardless how conscious I am of my computer posture, I still tend to slouch forward sometimes.

The steel mace 360 exercise helps release my tension from slouching.

It opens up my front lines, stretching my compressed chest (which was caused by slouching forward and holding a keyboard and mouse for long periods).

This exercise also activates my back muscles, in the exact opposite way that slouching forward does.

It’s the perfect combination of a “strength + stretching” exercise, for me and my athletic, sedentary lifestyle.

Here’s a video of me doing the steel mace 360.

This is what the steel mace 360 looks like. It’s the 1 strengthening exercise I would do, if I had to choose 1 for the rest of my life.

The first steel mace I bought was 10 pounds. I could do the 360 with it at first, but the movements were very slow. So I dropped down and bought a 7 pound steel mace. I was able to learn the movement a lot better with that. As the movements got quicker, I moved back up to the 10 pound steel mace. That’s the weight I use the most these days. I also have a 15 pound steel mace. But that’s pretty heavy. I’ll use it occasionally for low reps, just to switch things up.

If you like this article about the best stretches and strength moves, my Computer Posture Newsletter should be very helpful for you. (it’s free)

Especially if you’re an athletic office worker, who wants to improve computer posture and increase work productivity.

I write about easy, actionable ways to: