Ali Abdaal
September 13, 2024
Three Evidence-Based Exercises to Improve Your Posture
TL;DR
Perfect posture doesn't exist; instead, focus on three strength-building exercises—bar hangs, glute bridges/hip thrusts, and face pulls—to improve posture aesthetically and overall health.
Key Takeaways
- 1Your best posture is your next posture—switching positions every 15–20 minutes is better than maintaining one rigid upright position
- 2Grip strength is a biomarker of aging and correlates with longevity, disease risk, and lower back pain prevention
- 3Bar hangs decompress the spine and improve upper back strength; beginners should aim for 15–30 seconds daily or three times weekly
- 4Strong glutes are essential for tall posture; glute bridges upon waking and hip thrusts with progressive overload activate and strengthen them
- 5Face pulls strengthen rhomboids and thoracic spine, pulling shoulders back and improving postural aesthetics without requiring gym equipment
Notable Quotes
“Your best posture is your next posture”
— Dan Go
“There is no single correct posture and this makes sense because we're all different shapes and sizes and our spines curve differently”
— Ali Abdaal
“Good posture doesn't actually correlate with athletic performance—it's largely an aesthetic thing”
— Dan Go
“If you work on your strength by strengthening your grip your glutes and your core then your posture will just sort itself out as a byproduct of you getting stronger overall”
— Ali Abdaal
Chapters
1. The Myth of Perfect Posture
Dispels the misconception that there is a single correct posture. Research shows the best posture is the one you feel most comfortable in, and changing positions frequently is beneficial. Aesthetic appearance, not health outcomes, drives the pursuit of 'good posture.'
2. Exercise 1: Bar Hangs for Grip Strength
Bar hangs improve grip strength, a key biomarker of aging and overall health linked to longevity and disease prevention. Beginners should hang 15–30 seconds, advanced lifters aim for 1 minute, and elite practitioners target 2+ minutes. Do daily or at least once weekly.
3. Exercise 2: Glute Activation and Hip Thrusts
Weak glutes contribute to poor posture and back pain due to prolonged sitting. Glute bridges with 5–10 second holds performed each morning activate glutes. For strength gains, hip thrusts with progressive weight overload at the gym are superior and directly improve standing posture.
4. Exercise 3: Face Pulls for Upper Back Strength
Face pulls retract shoulder blades and strengthen rhomboids and the thoracic spine using cables at the gym or a resistance band at home. Stronger upper back muscles pull shoulders back, improving postural aesthetics.
5. Strength as the Foundation for Better Posture
Rather than forcing a 'perfect' posture, building overall strength through these three exercises naturally improves posture as a byproduct. Grip strength, glute strength, and upper back strength collectively support better spinal alignment and aesthetic posture.
Key People & Entities
- Dan Go
- Health expert and fitness coach who provided exercise recommendations and discussed posture myths
- Ali Abdaal
- Doctor, entrepreneur, writer, and author of 'Feelgood Productivity'; presenter of the video
- Brilliant
- Interactive learning platform sponsoring the video, offering courses in math, programming, and AI
Glossary
- Grip strength biomarker
- A measurable indicator of overall health and aging rate; weaker grip strength correlates with higher disease risk, faster aging, and lower longevity
- Bar hang (passive vs. active)
- Passive hang: simply hanging from a bar allowing spine decompression and lat stretch. Active hang: hanging while pulling shoulder blades back and activating upper back muscles
- Rhomboids
- Upper back muscles responsible for retracting (pulling back) the shoulder blades; weakness contributes to rounded shoulder posture
- Progressive overload
- Gradually increasing the weight, reps, or difficulty of an exercise over time to continuously challenge muscles and build strength
- Thoracic spine
- The middle section of the spine; strengthening it improves posture and prevents the hunched-over appearance common in desk workers
- Glute atrophy
- Weakening of gluteal muscles due to prolonged sitting; leads to weaker core support and poor posture
- DNA methylation
- A technique used to estimate biological age (how fast a body is aging) as opposed to chronological age (calendar years lived)