POSTURE POWER:
HOW TO CORRECT YOUR
BODY’S ALIGNMENT
DEVIATION
DEVIATION 1: SWAY BACK
HIPS PRESS FORWARD
AND SIT IN FRONT OF THE RIBS
Overactive muscles:
Hamstrings
Gluteus maximus
Gluteus medius
Erector spinae
Quadratus lumborum
Stretches:
Runner's stretch
Worlds greatest stretch
Seated glute stretch
Lying crossover
Hamstring stretch
Hamstring self-myofascial release (foam rolling)
Underactive muscles:
Iliopsoas (Hip flexors)
External obliques
Rectus Fenirus (Quad)
Strengthening exercises:
Cocoon
Exercise ball pull-in
Hanging leg raise
Scissor Kick
DEVIATION 2: LOWER-CROSS SYNDROME
EXCESSIVE CURVE IN THE LOW BACK,
PELVIS IS TILTED FORWARD
Overactive muscles:
Iliopsoas (hip flexors)
Erector spinae (low back)
Stretches:
kneeling hip flexor,
quadriceps stretch,
quadriceps self-myofascial release,
hug knees to chest
Underactive muscles:
Abdominals
gluteus maximus
Strengthening exercises:
Pelvic tilt to bridge
single-leg glute bridge
exercise-ball hip bridge
leg-elevated crunch
frog sit-up
DEVIATION 3: ROUNDED SHOULDERS
SHOULDERS IN FRONT OF EARS
Overactive muscles:
Pectoralis major (chest)
Pectoralis minor (chest)
Stretches:
Front deltoid stretch
elbows-back stretch
chest stretch on stability ball
dynamic chest stretch
chair upper-body stretch
Underactive muscles:
Rotator cuff,
lower trapezius,
serratus anterior
Strengthening exercises:
Seated cable row,
back fly with band,
shoulder external rotation,
rear- delt row
DEVIATION 4: FORWARD HEAD
EARS IN FRONT OF SHOULDERS
Overactive muscles:
Neck extensors,
upper trapezius
levator scapula
Stretches:
Neck self-myofascial release
chin to chest
sternocleidomastoid stretch
Underactive muscles:
Neck flexors
Strengthening exercises:
Isometric front-neck exercise
DEVIATION 5: UPPER-CROSS SYNDROME
ROUNDED SHOULDERS WITH AN
EXCESSIVE CURVE IN THE UPPER
BACK AND A FORWARD HEAD
Overactive muscles:
Trapezius
levator scapula
pectoralis major
pectoralis minor
neck extensors
Stretches:
Neck self-myofascial release
chin to chest
front-delt stretch
elbows-back stretch
chest stretch on stability ball
dynamic chest stretch
chair upper-body stretch
Underactive muscles:
Rotator cuff
lower trapezius
rhomboids
serratus anterior
deep neck flexors
Strengthening exercises:
Isometric front-neck exercise
seated cable row
back fly with band
shoulder external rotation
rear-delt row
DEVIATION 6: HEAD TILT
HEAD TILTED TO ONE SIDE; CAN BE
ACCOMPANIED BY ROTATION
TOWARD THAT SIDE
Overactive muscles:
Sternocleidomastoid tilted toward midline
Stretches:
Side neck stretch
neck self-myofascial release
sternocleidomastoid stretch
Underactive muscles:
Sternocleidomastoid tilted away from midline
Strengthening exercises:
Perform daily activities evenly on both sides
isometric
side-neck
exercise
DEVIATION 7: UNEVEN SHOULDERS
ONE SHOULDER SITS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER
Overactive muscle:
Trapezius on the elevated side
Stretches:
side neck stretch
neck self-myofascial release
Underactive muscles:
Serratus anterior on the elevated side
Strengthening exercises:
Perform daily activity evenly on both sides
single-arm high-pulley row
DEVIATION 8: UNEVEN HIPS
ONE HIP SITS HIGHER, CAN
GIVE THE PERCEPTION OF
LEG LENGTH DISCREPANCY
Overactive muscles:
Internal and external obliques,
hip abductors,
erector spinae
quadratus lumborum on the raised side
Stretches:
Runner's stretch,
world's greatest stretch,
IT-band stretch,
IT-band self-myofascial release,
seated glute stretch,
lying cross-over,
piriformis self-myofascial release,
dancer's stretch
Underactive muscles:
Varies based on individual
Strengthening exercises:
Avoid high-impact and high-repetition exercises
DEVIATION 9: FEET TURNED IN
TOES ARE TURNED IN TOWARD
THE MIDLINE OF THE BODY
Overactive muscles:
Tensor fasciae latae (outside of your hip)
Stretches:
IT-band stretch
IT-band self-myofascial release
Underactive muscles:
Gluteus medius
Gluteus minimus
Strengthening exercises:
Bridge with band tension around thighs
lateral tube walk
squat with band tension around thighs
DEVIATION 10: FEET TURNED OUT
TOES ARE TURNED OUT AWAY
FROM MIDLINE OF THE BODY
Overactive muscles:
Piriformis
deep external rotators
Stretches:
Seated glute stretch
lying cross-over
piriformis self-myofascial release
IT-band stretch
IT-band self-myofascial release
dancer's stretch
Underactive muscles:
Hip flexors
obliques
Strengthening exercises:
Cocoon
exercise ball pull-in
hanging leg raise
STRETCHES
Chair upper-body stretch
Sit on the edge of a chair, gripping the back of it.
Straighten your arms, keeping your back straight, and
pull your upper body forward so you feel a stretch. Hold
for 20-30 seconds.
chest stretch on stability ball
Get on your hands and knees next to an exercise ball.
Place your elbows on top of the ball, keeping your arm
out to your side. This will be your starting position.
chin to chest
Get into a seated position on the floor.
Place both hands at the rear of your head, fingers
interlocked, thumbs pointing down and elbows pointing
straight ahead.
dancer's stretch
Sit up on the floor.
Cross your right leg over your left, keeping the knee
bent. Your left leg is straight and down on the floor.
dynamic chest stretch
Stand with your hands together, arms extended directly
in front of you. This will be your starting position.
Keeping your arms straight, quickly move your arms
back as far as possible and back in again, similar to an
exaggerated clapping motion.
elbows-back stretch
Stand up straight.
Place both hands on your lower back, fingers pointing
downward and elbows out.
Front deltoid stretch
Reach your left arm across your body and hold it
straight.
With your right hand, grasp your left elbow and pull it
across your body towards your chest.
Hamstring self-myofascial release (foam rolling)
In a seated position, extend your legs over a foam roll
so that it is position on the back of the upper legs. Place
your hands to the side or behind you to help support
your weight.
Using your hands, lift your hips off of the floor and shift
your weight on the foam roll to one leg. Relax the
hamstrings of the leg you are stretching.
Hamstring stretch
Sit on a mat with your right leg extended in front of you
and your left leg bent with your foot against your right
inner thigh.
Lean forward from your hips and reach for your ankle
until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Hold for 15
seconds, then repeat for your other side.
Hug knees to chest
Lie down on your back and pull both knees up to your
chest.
Hold your arms under the knees, not over (that would
put to much pressure on your knee joints).
IT-band self-myofascial release
Lay on your side, with the bottom leg placed onto a
foam roller between the hip and the knee. The other leg
can be crossed in front of you.
Place as much of your weight as is tolerable onto your
bottom leg; there is no need to keep your bottom leg in
contact with the ground.muscles of the leg you are
stretching.
IT-band stretch
Loop a belt, rope, or band around one of your feet, and
swing that leg across your body to the opposite side,
keeping the leg extended as you lay on the ground.
Keeping your foot off of the floor, pull on the belt, using
the tension to pull the toes up. Hold for 10-20 seconds,
and repeat on the other side.
Kneeling hip flexor
Kneel on a mat and bring your right knee up so the
bottom of your foot is on the floor and extend your left
leg out behind you so the top of your foot is on the
floor.
Shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch in your
hip. Hold for 15 seconds, then repeat for your other
side.
Lying crossover
Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the
sides and your legs straight. This will be your starting
position.
Lift one leg and cross it over your body, attempting to
touch the ground near the opposite hand.
Neck self-myofascial release
Using a muscle roller or a rolling pin, place the roller
behind your head and against your neck.
Do not place the roller directly against the spine, but
turned slightly against the muscles to either side of the
spine.
piriformis self-myofascial release,
Sit with your buttocks on top of a foam roll. Bend your
knees, and then cross one leg so that the ankle is over
the knee.
Shift your weight to the side of the crossed leg, rolling
over the buttocks until you feel tension in your upper
glute. You may assist the stretch by using one hand to
pull the bent knee towards your chest.
quadriceps self-myofascial release
Lay face down on the floor with your weight supported
by your hands or forearms. Place a foam roll
underneath one leg on the quadriceps, and keep the
foot off of the ground.
Make sure to relax the leg as much as possible.
Shifting as much weight onto the leg to be stretched as
is tolerable, roll over the foam from above the knee to
below the hip.
Hold points of tension for 10-30 seconds. Switch sides.
quadriceps stretch
Start off by lying on your right side, with your right knee
bent at a 90-degree angle resting on the floor in front of
you (this stabilizes the torso).
Bend your left knee behind you and hold your left foot
with your left hand, press your left hip forward as you
push your left foot back into your hand. Switch sides.
Runner's stretch
It's easiest to get into this stretch if you start standing
up, put one leg behind you, and slowly lower your torso
down to the floor.
Keep the front heel on the floor (if it lifts up, scoot your
other leg further back).
Seated glute stretch
Begin seated on the ground with both legs extended.
Bring your right knee up and over your left leg so that
your right foot is on the ground. Keep the left leg
extended.
side neck stretch
Start with your shoulders relaxed, gently tilt your head
towards your shoulder.
Assist stretch with a gentle pull on the side of the head.
sternocleidomastoid stretch
Rotate the head to one side as far as is comfortable
Then tilt the head slightly back, as if trying to reach the
ear to the shoulder.
Worlds greatest stretch
Begin by lunging forward, with your front
foot flat on the ground and on the toes of
your back foot.
With your knees bent, squat down until
your knee is almost touching the ground.
Keep your torso erect, and hold this
position for 10-20 seconds.
Place the arm on the same side as your
front leg on the ground, with the elbow
next to the foot.
Your other hand should be placed on the
ground, parallel to your lead leg, to help
support you.
After 10-20 seconds, place your hands on
either side of your front foot.
Raise the toes of the front foot off of the
ground, and straighten your leg.
You may need to reposition your rear leg to
do so.
Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then repeat the
entire sequence for the other side.
References:
Original post made by /u/Ilkzz linking to a bodybuilding.com article
about posture:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/35b6oo/power_posture_h
ow_to_correct_your_bodys_alignment/
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/posture-power-how-to-correct-yourbody-alignment.html?mcid=SM_twit02050815
Then /u/kerrybaumann, formatted a list of posture problems with
pictures and instructions for the stretches to correct them. The thread
can be found here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/36r854/a_while_ago_som
eone_posted_a_manifesto_on_posture/
I decided to format it as PDF so it can be viewed via Kindle, Mobile
phones and can even be printed out.
If you have further information or photos, you can message me
/u/mropineda, and I will be happy to add them in the ebook.