Poor posture has become an epidemic.
Forward head, rounded shoulders, and what fitness experts call “Donald Duck butt”—chances are, someone’s caught it in a photo of you.
But here’s the good news: fitness expert Jeremy Ethier recently shared a simple five-minute routine that can reverse years of postural damage, and the science behind why it works is fascinating.
Understanding how poor posture develops is the first step to fixing it for good.
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Why Your Body Adapted to Bad Posture
Studies reveal most people sit for six to eight hours daily. When they do, they’re usually slouched forward in a hunched position.
Contrary to popular belief, slouching isn’t inherently harmful. Some research even suggests it might help with focus in the short term.
This slouching position isn’t necessarily bad. Some studies suggest it might even help you focus more. In fact, I’m slouching right now as I write the script for this video.
The real problem? Staying locked in that position for hours every single day.
Your body is an adaptation machine. Over time, certain muscles tighten while others weaken, making your body more efficient at maintaining that hunched-over posture—even when you’re standing.
Opening Up Tight Chest and Shoulders
The first exercise targets tight chest and shoulder muscles that pull you forward.
Using a resistance band (though a towel, blanket, or broomstick works too), start with hands inside the band and palms facing away from your thighs. Keep arms straight and move them in a circle up and behind your body.
Let shoulder blades and traps shrug up slightly on the way up, then allow shoulder blades to come down and back as arms travel behind.
The band provides a major advantage: you can widen it by pulling apart during tight spots.
If you’re really tight, your body will try cheating by arching the lower back. Prevent this by keeping your core engaged.
Some clicking in shoulders or inability to keep arms fully straight is completely normal—it will improve with consistency.
Unlocking Your Mid and Upper Back
Before strengthening weakened muscles, you need to unlock your tight mid and upper back.
Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Place a foam roller, ball, or folded pillow between legs and squeeze.
Engage your core to straighten your back, then take a big exhale as you reach your left arm under and across your body as far as possible.
You should feel a deep stretch in your mid and upper back, possibly even lats.
From there, bring your left hand back behind your neck. Push the floor away with your right hand and follow your elbow with your eyes as you rotate up toward the ceiling.
Hold the top briefly, then come back down and try reaching a bit further than last time.
One side will likely feel tighter than the other—this imbalance will correct itself over time with consistent practice.
Strengthening Weakened Back Muscles
Temporarily opening tight muscles isn’t enough. To maintain results and fix posture permanently, you need strengthening exercises.
This exercise strengthens weakened back and shoulder muscles that pull you upward.
Lay on your stomach with forehead on the floor and hands behind your head. Pull elbows back, imagining you’re squeezing shoulder blades together.
Once you’ve gone as far as possible, extend arms straight out to make a capital Y shape with palms facing down.
Keep arms straight and held high above the floor. Begin slowly moving them in a big circle around your body.
As arms come below T-shape, internally rotate so palms face the ceiling. When hands are close to legs, bend elbows and place the back of hands on your low back.
This is challenging. If struggling, modify by keeping arms in T-shape with thumbs up, using mid-back muscles to raise arms as high as possible.
Hold that top position for several seconds while squeezing shoulder blades together. Do five to ten reps until you build strength for the full exercise.
The Movement You’re Missing
Here’s what most people get wrong: doing this five-minute routine, then immediately sitting in a chair for the rest of the day.
To fix your posture for good and honestly just feel better day to day, you need to make an effort to move more. Break up your sitting with standing, go for more walks, or check out some of my workout videos to get you in the gym.
Research shows lifting weights can improve flexibility just as much as stretching does.
Combining this routine with regular movement creates lasting change.
Loosening Tight Hip Flexors
The main lower body muscle needing attention is the glutes, which become weak from prolonged sitting.
But first, loosen hip flexors. Research suggests tight hip flexors can inhibit glute activation.
Start on all fours and set your right knee close to a wall or elevated furniture like a bench, couch, or chair. Use hands to help put your back foot up on the wall or bench.
The closer your knee is to the wall or bench, the more stretch you’ll create in quads.
Step your other foot forward so your shin is vertical. Straighten hips in front of you, then use hands to help get into half-kneeling position.
Brace your core and level your hips as if holding a bowl of water you’re preventing from spilling forward.
You should already feel a deep stretch in quads and hip flexor of the back leg. Intensity should feel like four or five out of ten.
Activating Dormant Glutes
Now it’s time to strengthen the glutes properly.
Lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Angle elbows away from you and push them down into the ground.
Engage your core to flatten your lower back against the floor. Squeeze butt muscles hard, then lift hips up while keeping glutes contracted.
Critical form tip: At the top, avoid arching your lower back. Keep core engaged and tilt hips back by squeezing glutes hard.
Squeeze the glutes hard as if you had a hundred dollar bill between them and you were trying to prevent it from falling out.
Hold for five seconds before coming down for another rep.
Feeling this more in quads than glutes? Walk feet out further away. Feeling it more in hamstrings? Move feet closer in.
Over time, progress to working one leg at a time to correct strength imbalances in your glutes.
The Complete Five-Minute Protocol
This routine works wonders when done consistently—ideally twice daily.
- Band dislocations or towel pass-throughs: Open tight chest and shoulders
- Thread the needle rotations: Unlock mid and upper back
- Prone arm circles: Strengthen weakened back muscles
- Elevated hip flexor stretch: Loosen tight hip flexors
- Glute bridges: Activate dormant glutes
The key isn’t just performing these exercises. It’s pairing them with increased daily movement.
Breaking up prolonged sitting with standing breaks, walks, and resistance training creates sustainable postural improvements.
Your body adapted to poor posture over months or years. With consistency, this five-minute routine can begin reversing that adaptation in weeks—but only if you also address the root cause: too much time locked in one position.
