I commonly use the phrase, “lengthen through your spine” to cue better posture and movement during my class workouts. If you consider gravity and our anatomy, this is a fairly difficult task. What’s funny is that no one has ever asked me how to do it. No one has ever said, “What exact movement lengthens the spine?” Hint: It’s not one single movement.

I did an informal survey and found that, while almost everyone responds correctly to this cue, few know precisely how they do it. So, let’s take a look at it. Movement awareness can lead to improved function and performance. Plus, you look better when you lengthen through your spine. We all do.

Why Lengthen Through the Spine

As soon as you get out of bed every morning, you begin the fight against gravity. You use your muscle strength and control to sit up, to stand, and to move without falling over. But, we all tend to slack off during the day by slouching and leaning and generally giving in to the forces of gravity.

Your workout time presents the perfect opportunity to strengthen and move into better posture. Think of your typical posture when you’re on your phone, at your desk, or sitting on the couch. Then, think of walking, running, lifting weights, or any other exercise. Can you do any of them very well in those same postures? (If you answered yes because you have great posture all the time, good for you. And you can stop reading now. What follows is for the rest of us slouch-y mortals.)

While most of us partially reverse those postures when we’re up and moving, the cue to ‘lengthen through the spine’ helps us more fully achieve better posture and performance.

You can focus on lengthening through the spine beyond standing. Lengthen during squats and lunges as you engage your core muscles.

You coordinate a series of muscle contractions and relaxations to lengthen your spine. It’s a little different for everyone based on their body type as well as their strength or weakness and flexibility or tightness.

While you, for example, might do best to focus on activating the glutes and relaxing through the hip flexors, I probably need to really key in on flexion of the upper neck and relaxation of my suboccipitals (the muscles at the base of the skull). To understand where you should put the most focus, it helps to consider all the components and look at where you might be tight or weak.

Note: This article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. A postural assessment by a medical professional can best help you determine where you need to stretch and strengthen for optimal function and performance.

Core Strength and Lengthening

We’ve had it drilled into our heads for years that core strength is the key to being stronger, faster, more balanced… and perhaps even a better person – ha! Seriously, it’s a big focus for most training programs.

So, what happens when we focus on our core? We ask our abdominals and back extensors to engage. We may also pull our shoulders down and back with our lower traps and tighten our glutes. And, with all that, we often get into a rather compressed posture. That’s why the cue of lengthening is so important.

Although we typically think of lengthening in sitting, standing, and plank, you can also apply it during other exercises.

Stand in front of a mirror and engage everything you think of when you think of core strength. All of these items will naturally straighten your posture and de-slouchify you. Now, add the finishing touch. Lengthen.

You should see the difference. You’ll be noticeably taller. I’m actually 5’2″. When I lengthen through my spine, I extend to my full 5’10” height. Kidding. But there is a noticeable difference.

How to Lengthen Through the Spine

A classic cue to lengthen is “think of a string pulling up through the top of your head” and it works well. With this cue, people tend to drop the shoulders down and back a bit and automatically counteract common postural problems.

People who typically sit with their head forward will tuck their chins. If they’re always looking down at their phone (tech neck) they’ll look forward and restore the natural curve of the neck.

When cued to think of increasing length from the top of the head down through the toes, people will also tighten the abs and back extensors a bit more, and finish off by squeezing more through the glutes and hip adductors (inner thighs). It’s the complicated symphony of all these movements that helps you lengthen through the spine.

Not Just for Workouts

Lengthening through the spine is a great tool for getting the most out of your workouts. It’s also great to use throughout your day. Take occasional one-minute breaks and lengthen through your spine. While you’re at it, focus on some deep diaphragmatic breathing. These two techniques are a terrific strategy for improving your day.

Stay fit!

P.S. Of course, you can always take gravity out of the picture by laying down and taking a nap.