Body realignment exercises can enhance your quality of life and sense of control by improving your posture. Good posture boosts energy and reduces pain, which helps you think clearly and increases your productivity. According to the results of a May 2011 "Journal of Experimental Social Psychology" study led by Vanessa K. Bohns at the University of Toronto, constrictive postures might lower your pain tolerance. However, power poses, including good posture, can increase your tolerance to pain. Body realignment exercises also reduce age-related height loss.
Neck and Torso Strengthening
Neck and torso strengthening exercises can improve multiple postural deficiencies. Abdominal exercises, including crunches, can reverse overextension in your lower back, which contributes to swayback posture problems. Exercises that strengthen your back extensors -- such as back extensions, 45-degree hyperextensions and good mornings -- can realign hunchback postures. Cable neck extensions and rear neck bridges help realign forward-head posture. Winged scapula or protracted shoulder girdle misalignment can improve with shoulder and back strengthening exercises, such as weighted rowing and incline shoulder raises.
Neck and Torso Stretching
Neck and torso stretching exercises increase flexibility and mobility in your spine, hips and shoulders. Exercises that stretch your abdominal muscles, including bhujangasana or cobra pose in yoga, can help realign posterior pelvic tilt and kyphosis posture problems. Exercises that stretch your cervical vertebral column flexors, such as neck retractions, can help realign forward-head posture. Winged scapula and protracted shoulder girdle postural deficiencies can improve with pectoral and latissimus dorsi stretching exercises.
Lower-body Strengthening
Lower-body strengthening exercises help correct misalignment, including lordosis and posterior pelvic tilt. Hamstring exercises, such as leg curls and glute-ham raises, help realign overextension of the lower back. Leg presses strengthen your gluteal muscles, which reduces excessive lumbar spine extension. Exercises that strengthen your hip flexors, such as the leg raise and weighted hip flexion, help realign posterior pelvic tilt and strengthen muscles that support the natural curvature of your lumbar spine.
Lower-body Stretching
Lower-body stretching exercises help reduce muscle tightness that contributes to postural deficiencies in your lower back. Kneeling, lying and lunging hip-flexor stretching exercises help realign swayback posture, which overly extends your lumbar spine. Lower-back stretching exercises -- including the seated bent-over and cat pose stretches -- relax stiff back extensors that contribute to swayback problems. Exercises that stretch your hip extensors, including hamstring and gluteal stretches, help correct flat back misalignment that results from a posterior pelvic tilt.
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