Staying Active with Marilyn: 8 stretches to improve posture

Straighten those rounded shoulders with chest openers

EDITOR'S NOTE: It’s strongly recommended that you consult with your physician before beginning this or any exercise program.

With a more sedentary lifestyle, whether it's sitting for longer periods of time at a desk or leaning over a laptop or iPhone — or even driving a car — we can end up with rounded shoulders that sacrifice our posture. To combat this we need to do chest openers!

In this video, Kingsville yoga and fitness instructor Marilyn Farnworth demonstrates eight chest opening yoga stretches — bound forward fold, revolving forward fold with block, dancer, camel, cobra, bow, bound bridge and supine twist poses.

This routine will help to reduce chest tightness by opening, expanding and stretching the pectoral muscles. They also counter the effects of poor posture, muscle overuse and strain, improve flexibility and range of motion and increase blood and oxygen circulation.