Straighten Up With Yoga and You’ll Look 10 Years Younger

Hunching over your keyboard or slumping at the steering wheel for hours on end can do a number on your posture. But simply straightening up can make you look 10 years younger. Cobra Pose can help combat bad posture by strengthening the muscles around the spine. And like back bends, it’s a great way to get blood flowing to your heart. Plus, the pose helps stimulate the adrenal glands located in your back, near your kidneys—that’s why you feel so energized after doing them!

Lie on your belly with your hands under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Hug your elbows in tightly to your sides as you draw your shoulders together behind you. Stabilize your lower back by firming the abdominal muscles and drawing the tailbone down toward the floor. Begin to lift the chest up to the ceiling, taking care to keep your neck long. This action is supported by the arms, but the majority of the work should be done by the paraspinal muscles in the back. Only go up to your comfort level—you don’t get more points for “going higher” in the pose. Hold for 5 to 15 breaths, then gently lower your body to the ground. Repeat 3 times.