POSTURE POWER:

HOW TO CORRECT YOUR

BODYS 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.