Get fit in 15 minutes Strengthen back and improve posture

Get fit in 15 minutes Strengthen back and improve posture



WHAT TO DO

This exercise is for anyone who spends a long time sitting down. It works to strengthen your back and improve posture. All you need is a resistance band, says personal trainer Nadya Fairweather (u-shape.co.uk).

Loop the band around a pole, banister or fence and hold a handle in each hand. Stand facing it with knees slightly bent, feet apart and arms extended in front.

Pull arms backwards in a rowing action, keeping elbows the same height as shoulders. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then return to extended arms position. Depending on how taut your band is, try for 15 to 20 or as many as you can in 30 seconds. Rest, repeat five sets.



WHAT TO EAT

Good posture requires strong and healthy bones, which is not just about eating enough calcium, says nutritionist Eve Kalinik (evekalinik.com). Calcium is important — a diet including full-fat and ideally unpasteurised dairy, small fish such as sardines, and leafy greens will ensure you get enough.

But vitamin D is also vital to help us absorb all the nutrients we need from calcium.

Sometimes called ‘the sunshine vitamin’ as we get most of it from sunlight exposure, vitamin D is also present in various foods including oily fish such as salmon and sardines, as well as egg yolks and mushrooms.