Stretching exercises that improve posture will relieve muscle pain and aches, as well as affect your endurance. Standing up straight allows you to breathe deeper and therefore get more oxygen into your bloodstream. Athletic performance also improves with more flexibility and better posture, so stretching cannot only help you stand taller, but also improve your quality of life.
Passive Backbend
The passive backbend stretch opens the chest and shoulders. When the front of the shoulders and chest muscles become tight, they pull the shoulders forward, which often brings the head forward, too. Raising the chest and elongating the neck are essential to stand tall. This stretch allows gravity to correct poor posture from a tense upper torso. To perform this stretch, lie face up on the floor, with a round bolster under your back. Let your arms open to your sides and your body drape over the bolster for 10 to 15 minutes.
Wall Side Stretch
The wall side stretch lengthens the sides of the torso. Tight muscles on the sides of the body inhibit standing up straighter just as tight muscles in the front of the body can. To perform this stretch, stand sideways approximately 1 ft. from a wall, with the palm of the arm closest to the wall flat against it. Slide the palm up the wall until the arm is straight, and stretch as high as you can. Remain in this position for the time it takes to breathe deeply for five to 10 breaths. The shorter the distance to the wall, the less the body stretches. Adjust the distance accordingly. Stretch both sides.
Half Lotus Pose
Half lotus pose is a yoga exercise that is beneficial for correcting many postural problems such as rounded shoulders, curved spine, sway back or a flat back. Half lotus pose stretches the hip flexors and opens the chest. To perform half lotus, sit cross-legged on the floor. Bring one knee up, and then use your hands to place that leg over the other so that the inside of the foot rests in the crook of the thigh. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, and then cross the other leg over. The hands ideally rest on the knees, but the arms may be used to help support a straight spine and pulled back shoulders. Full lotus is a progression from half lotus where both feet rest on the inner thighs. This may not be suitable for people with knee problems.
Reversed or Upside Down Corpse Pose
Advasana is the Sanskrit name of a yoga pose that is a face down version of the popular shavansana, or corpse pose. This exercise stretches the shoulders and chest to combat tight muscles that pull the chest down. To perform this exercise, lie on your stomach, with your legs straight and your arms extended straight in front of you. Breathe deeply, and remain in the pose for 10 to 15 minutes, giving your body time to sink into the floor. If you have a hard time breathing, you can lie with a small pillow under your chest.
