Fix the Office Slouch: Strengthen Core, Stretch SOAS

Whether you're a desk worker battling with poor posture, a powerlifter striving to improve core strength, or someone simply looking to lead a healthier, more active life - there are powerful tools to help you get there. Check out advice from my friend Pasquale, a massage therapist, martial artist, dancer and yoga teacher. Pas is an expert in functional fitness who loves sharing simple, effective exercises that cater to all levels, from office workers to athletes.

Let's look into some practical advice based on years of experience for improving posture, strengthening your core, and relieving the tension caused by modern lifestyles.

Fix Your Office Posture! SOAS Stretching

1. Stretching vs. Strengthening: A Holistic Approach

In Pas’s view, the best way to improve your posture and core strength isn’t by treating stretching and strengthening as separate tasks. Instead, it’s about training the functional range of motion of the psoas muscle, a key muscle that affects both posture and movement. This approach ensures that every movement counts towards a stronger, more functional body, whether you're stretching, strengthening, or simply moving.

2. Modern Lifestyle & Psoas Tightness

Most people today experience tightness in their psoas muscle, often due to the hours spent sitting at desks in a flexed position. This is one of the main contributors to lower back pain and poor posture. Sitting for long periods leads to an imbalanced psoas, which affects your ability to move fluidly and engage your core properly.

3. The Chair Problem: Poor Posture from Poor Design

Traditional office chairs are often designed for convenience, not ergonomics. These chairs were made to keep people off the ground but fail to support healthy spinal alignment, causing slumping and tension in the back. It’s time to rethink the chair and its role in creating poor posture habits.

4. Changing Your Sitting Position Throughout the Day

To counteract the negative effects of sitting, try regularly changing your seating position. This could include using adjustible standing desks that go up and down, ergonomic chairs, fitballs, or even squatting occasionally to prevent stiffness and maintain good circulation. A little variety goes a long way in keeping your muscles engaged and your posture aligned.

5. Movement and Awareness: Small Changes Make a Big Difference

When you’re focused on work, it’s easy to lose touch with your body. Set a timer to remind you to stand up, stretch, or do simple exercises like squats and lunges for 60 seconds. By making these small changes throughout your day, you can relieve tension and prevent stiffness before it turns into chronic pain.

6. Psoas Stretch and Strengthening: Yoga-Style Bridge

A yoga-style bridge is an excellent exercise that engages the psoas while encouraging deep, mindful breathing. By focusing on 6-second inhales and exhales, you activate the psoas and stretch the hips, which helps with flexibility, strength, and overall posture improvement.

7. Correcting the Pelvic Tilt

One of the common issues people face when sitting for long periods is an anterior pelvic tilt, where the lower back arches excessively. I have it! Always had. Sadly - postural problems are not fixable after 15 years old. If you let some chiropractor convince you otherwise and do an x-ray before and after: consider the fact that your bones are like puzzle pieces that fit together however they've solidified to fit. If someone changes their alignment forecully the bones will go back to the original position because they aren't shaped to fit in the way "a conventionally typical back" is designed to look.

Anterior pelvic tilting puts strain on your rhomboid muscles, contributing to poor posture, back pain, and even tension headaches. Pas shows you how to reduce stress on the spine and maintain a neutral pelvis position with more ease.

8. Mind-Body Connection: Feeling the Movement

Rather than focusing only on technical posture adjustments, we encourage a somatic approach: feeling the movement and engaging with your body as a whole. This method helps you avoid overcompensating and enhances your overall body awareness, which ultimately leads to better posture and less discomfort.

9. Backbend Progression for Spine Mobility

A wall-supported backbend is a fantastic exercise to open up the chest and increase spinal mobility. With Pas's guidance in the video below Katya shows how to start with one hand and progress to both hands as you build strength and confidence. This exercise is especially useful for improving flexibility and counteracting the stiffness that comes from sitting too much.

10. Key Takeaway: Dynamic Movement for Better Posture

Improving your office posture isn’t about static stretching. It’s about integrating dynamic movement, mindful breathing, and gradual mobility work throughout your day. Our approach emphasizes that small, consistent changes lead to lasting improvements in posture, flexibility, and overall body health.

Strong Core: SOAS Strengthening for Any Age

1. Full-Body Engagement for Stronger Results

In the video above, Katya explains that core exercises shouldn’t be limited to just the abs. Instead, she teaches you to engage your whole body to maximize the effectiveness of each movement. The key is creating light tension throughout your entire body, which not only strengthens your core but also improves your overall movement and stability.

2. Finding the Right Position

One important tip is adjusting your position to make the exercise comfortable and effective. Bringing arms above your head can helps engage your core more effectively, and making sure your legs are straight with feet together. Even small, individualized tweaks can lead to better form and increased comfort.

Looking for form and technique tips that are relevant to you?

Schedule a 1:1 call with Katya if you're looking for a personalized training program tailored to your physical abilities, preferences, and lifestyle.

3. Lower Back Awareness

Another crucial element of core strengthening is learning how to control your lower back. We encourage you to push your lower back towards the ground as you lift your legs, helping to engage core fully. The goal isn’t to flatten your back completely if that's hard for you, but to maintain an awareness of the movement and engage the core correctly. I can't flatten back, for example due to my anterior pelvic tilt.

4. Leg Lifts and Progression

The video emphasizes gradual progression when it comes to leg lifts. For beginners, stopping at a 90° angle is a great way to start. As you build strength, you can go deeper into the movement, ensuring that the exercise remains controlled and focused.

5. Abs vs. SOAS: The Difference

The goal of this exercise is to target the soas muscle, not just the abs. While abs are important for aesthetics - our bodies are also designed to carry fat around the belly for organ protection. So, unless one is extremely lean (low body fat %) - abs are usually not visible for most people no matter how strong their core is. The psoas is a deep muscle that supports overall movement and core stability. Engaging this muscle correctly can prevent injuries and improve functional strength.

6. Breath Control for Better Engagement

Breathing plays a critical role in strengthening the core. A breathing pattern where you inhale deeply and exhale fully helps engage the core muscles and stabilize the body during movement. This technique not only strengthens the muscles but also enhances focus and mindfulness.

7. Building Strength Gradually

As you progress - gradual strength building is crucial! If you struggle - coaches at Vegan Powerlifter are here to help! With consistent practice, you will see significant improvements in both your strength and movement control.

8. Functional Strength for Mobility

The exercises in this video are designed to improve functional strength, which translates directly to better mobility and performance. Strengthening your psoas muscle improves your posture and allows for more fluid, efficient movement in everyday tasks and athletic pursuits.

9. Practice Makes Perfect

As with any skill, practice is the key to success. Take your time and progress gradually. Over time, you’ll notice increased strength, mobility, and a deeper mind-body connection that will benefit all aspects of your life.

Ready to Strengthen Core and Improve Posture?

If you’re ready to make lasting changes to your posture, mobility, and core strength, reach out to Katya or Pasquale. Whether you're looking to improve your office posture, reduce back pain, or build a stronger, more resilient body for powerlifting, these exercises are for you.

Watch the full videos, follow the step-by-step instructions, and start incorporating these exercises into your daily routine. With dedication and the right guidance, you’ll not only feel better in your body, but you’ll also perform better in the gym, at work, and in everyday life.

Contact Katya for Coaching

Contact Pasquale for Coaching

Start transforming your posture and core strength today with Katya Gorbacheva’s and Pasquale's tips!