Address declining posture with these simple morning moves.
Starting your morning with a healthy dose of exercise is a great way to progress toward your goals. Plus, it ensures you get it done before the day even begins. As you age, it’s essential to tweak your workout routine accordingly, with a major focus on posture.
Posture typically declines after 60 due to muscular and structural changes. You also naturally lose muscle—a process known as sarcopenia—particularly in key postural muscles like your upper back, glutes, and deep core, says Justin Kraft, NASM-CPT, Performance Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, and the founder of Aspire2MoreFitness.com, where he helps individuals build strength, mobility, and muscle through smart and sustainable training.
“Active individuals are not immune [to posture decline] because many common activities (walking, cycling, even some gym routines) are forward-dominant,” Kraft notes. “This reinforces patterns like rounded shoulders and forward head posture. These imbalances override the body’s ability to maintain upright alignment unless they’re specifically addressed. If you work out in all three planes of motion, you can mitigate some of this.”
To help combat posture decline, experts rounded up four morning exercises that can help restore posture faster than floor stretches after 60. While stretching offers great benefits like boosting flexibility and reducing stiffness, posture is not only about mobility, but also strength and control.
“Floor stretches are passive. They may temporarily lengthen tight muscles (like the chest or hip flexors), but they don’t teach the body how to hold proper alignment throughout the day,” Kraft tells us. “Without strengthening the opposing muscles like the upper back, glutes, and core, the body simply returns to its default posture.”
According to Dr. Dustin DebRoy, Manager, Chiropractic Education and Relations at The Joint Chiropractic, who works closely with patients of all ages and specializes in posture and spine alignment, posture is the position your body defaults to as it moves with gravity. If you only rely on floor workouts, you’re not engaging most of your stabilizing muscles.
“It is also difficult to effectively strengthen the muscles of the back through floor-based exercises alone, even though these muscles are crucial for maintaining good posture,” Dr. DebRoy adds.
Below, Kraft and Dr. DebRoy share four morning moves to prioritize.
Wall Posture Reset (Wall Angels)
“This exercise reinforces proper alignment of the spine, shoulders, and neck while activating upper-back muscles. It will also increase mobility in a big way if you are having issues and pain in your shoulder,” Kraft tells us.
- Begin standing with your back, head, and hips against a wall.
- Lift your arms up to form a goal post position.
- Slowly raise and lower them while keeping contact with the wall.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Glute Bridges
“The glute bridge activates the glutes, which are critical for pelvic alignment and reducing lower back strain. There is a progression, so always start with the easiest form of an exercise,” Kraft says. “Avoid pushing through the lower back and focus on glute engagement. You can do this by really concentrating on pushing against the ground with your feet instead of swinging your back up.”
- Begin by lying flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on the mattress, arms at your sides with palms pressing into the surface.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for 2 to 3 seconds.
- Lower your hips back to the start position.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Standing Band Pull-Aparts
“This exercise strengthens the upper back and rear shoulders, directly counteracting rounded posture. Most folks have under-active rear delts. Not only does this affect posture, but mobility and movement in your shoulders,” Kraft says.
- Begin by standing tall.
- Hold the resistance band ahead of you with arms fully extended at shoulder height.
- Pull the band apart, stretching your arms laterally while keeping them fully straight.
- Use control to return to the start position.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Farmer’s Carry
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Start walking forward, keeping your torso still and maintaining a tall posture.
- Perform 3 sets for time; 60 to 120 seconds.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa
