Good posture is not a single stretch or a one time cue. It is the daily ratio of mobility, activation, and strength that your body experiences. The routine below is short on any single day, but compounds across weeks. It targets the common culprits of modern posture: stiff ankles and hips, tight pecs, weak mid back, sleepy glutes, and a neck that spends too long in forward flexion.

Principles That Make This Work

• Little and daily beats long and rare.
• Mobilize what is stiff, activate what is underused, strengthen what holds you up.
• Move pain free. If something hurts sharply, scale the range and volume or skip and substitute.
• Track minutes and quality, not just sets.

Two Minute Posture Screen

Use these quick checks each Sunday and note results.

1. Wall head test: Stand with heels 5 cm from a wall. Can your sacrum, mid back, and back of head all touch without neck strain.
2. Overhead reach test: Back on wall, ribs down, raise straight arms overhead. Can thumbs touch the wall without arching your low back.
3. Deep squat test: Feet shoulder width, arms forward, heels on floor. Can you reach parallel without heels lifting.
4. Shoulder rotation test: Elbows at sides bent 90 degrees. Can you rotate forearms out to 45 to 60 degrees without the ribs flaring.

Improvements in these are your scoreboard.

Daily Routine Overview

Total time 25 to 35 minutes. Do it once per day, plus 3 microbreaks.

1. Reset breathing and alignment: 2 minutes
2. Mobility block: 8 to 10 minutes
3. Activation block: 6 to 8 minutes
4. Strength block: 8 to 12 minutes
5. Decompression: 2 to 3 minutes
6. Microbreaks: three times per workday, 90 seconds each

1) Reset Breathing And Alignment

• Crocodile breaths, 6 to 8 breaths: Lie face down, forehead on hands, breathe into low ribs and belly, slow exhale.
• Standing stack, 4 breaths: Soft knees, hips over ankles, ribs over pelvis, chin gently tucked. Think tall, not tense.

2) Mobility Block

• Ankles: half kneeling dorsiflexion, 45 seconds each side
  Knee tracks over middle toes. Keep heel down.
• Hips: 90 90 switches, 60 seconds
  Rotate from the hips, calm torso.
• Thoracic spine: open book, 45 seconds each side
  Knees stacked, reach long, follow the hand with eyes.
• Shoulders and pecs: doorway pec stretch, 45 seconds each arm
  Forearm on frame, step forward until a mild stretch.
• Neck glide series, 30 seconds
  Gentle chin glide back, hold one second, relax. Ten reps.

3) Activation Block

• Glute bridge with pause, 2 sets of 8
  Ribs down, drive through heels, pause two seconds at the top.
• Dead bug, 2 sets of 6 each side
  Low back kisses the floor, exhale as the leg and opposite arm extend.
• Prone Y and T, 1 set of 8 each
  Forehead on towel, lift arms to a Y, then to a T, thumbs up. Small range, no shrugging.
• Scapular wall slides, 1 set of 8
  Forearms on wall, slide up while keeping ribs down and neck long.

4) Strength Block

Choose either bodyweight or band/dumbbell version.

Bodyweight plan

• Split squat, 3 sets of 6 each side
  Front shin vertical at the bottom, torso tall.
• Inverted row under a sturdy table, 3 sets of 6 to 8
  Squeeze shoulder blades down and back.
• Push up to down dog, 2 sets of 6
  Control the push up, then lengthen into down dog to open shoulders.
• Side plank, 2 sets of 20 to 30 seconds each side
  Hips stacked, long line from ear to ankle.

Band or dumbbell plan

• Romanian deadlift, 3 sets of 8
  Hinge at hips, shins stay vertical, lats engaged.
• One arm row, 3 sets of 8 each side
  Pull to the hip, pause, lower slowly.
• Half kneeling overhead press, 2 sets of 8 each side
  Squeeze glute on the down knee, ribs quiet.
• Face pull or band pull apart, 2 sets of 12
  Elbows high enough to target mid back, not upper traps.

5) Decompression

• Hang or supported hang, 60 seconds total
  Dead hang from a bar if shoulders tolerate it. Otherwise hands on a countertop with knees slightly bent and hips back.
• Supine towel roll under mid back, 60 to 90 seconds
  Gentle extension over the roll, arms open, breathe slowly.

6) Microbreaks During The Day

Do three 90 second breaks: mid morning, mid afternoon, evening.

• Ten standing chin glides.
• Ten band pull aparts or doorframe isometric rows.
• Ten calf raises with slow lowers.
• Stand tall and breathe for three slow breaths.

Eight Week Progression

Weeks 1 to 2: Learn form and consistency

• Keep volumes as listed.
• Note any exercises that cause discomfort and replace them: eg swap push ups for incline push ups, split squats for step ups.

Weeks 3 to 4: Add time under tension

• Add a two second pause at the hardest point of strength moves.
• Increase side plank holds by 10 seconds if solid.
• Microbreaks increase to four times daily on desk heavy days.

Weeks 5 to 6: Add load or reps

• Dumbbells or bands increase by the smallest step.
• Rows and presses move to 3 sets of 10.
• Dead bug becomes dead bug with heel tap to extend range if the low back stays stable.

Weeks 7 to 8: Integrate posture into life

• Introduce a loaded carry 3 times per week after the strength block: suitcase carry 2 times 30 meters each side.
• Add walking cadence: 10 minutes brisk walk focusing on tall posture and soft arm swing.

After week 8, keep the same structure and cycle a light week every fourth week to consolidate.

Technique Cues That Protect Your Back And Neck

• Ribs over pelvis in standing moves. If your shirt wrinkles at the front, you may be flaring ribs.
• Shoulders travel down and back as you pull. Avoid shrugging as a substitute for mid back work.
• Neck stays long. Think of making space between earlobe and collarbone.
• Knee tracks over second toe on squats and split squats.
• Exhale during effort to keep the core engaged without bracing too hard.

Workspace And Daily Habit Tweaks

• Screen height: Top third of the monitor at eye level.
• Reach zone: Mouse and keyboard close enough to keep elbows near the body.
• Chair angle: Hips slightly above knees with a small lumbar support.
• Phone posture: Bring phone to eye level, not head to phone.
• Walking calls: Any call longer than five minutes becomes a short walk if possible.

What To Track Each Week

• Minutes completed for the routine and microbreaks.
• The four posture screen tests.
• Subjective notes: neck tension, headache frequency, between shoulder blade tightness, low back fatigue, standing tolerance.

When To Get Help

• Persistent numbness or tingling in the arm or hand.
• Pain that does not reduce with range or volume adjustments.
• History of spinal surgery or known disc pathology that flares with extension or flexion.
  A clinician can individualize ranges and choose safe substitutes.

Why This Works

• Mobility restores the ranges you need for upright alignment.
• Activation brings sleepy stabilizers online so strong muscles do not dominate and pull you out of position.
• Strength builds the endurance to hold better posture without constant cueing.
• Decompression resets tissue tone so you do not stack tension across days.
• Microbreaks change your daily ratio of positions and load, which is what posture really reflects.

Final Reminder

Posture improves when your default inputs change. Give your body twenty five focused minutes and a few ninety second resets each day. Keep the effort painless, precise, and consistent. In eight weeks you will not be forcing good posture. You will be carrying it.