Posture

Pilates promises to improve posture. What does that really mean?

People often think that ”shoulders back and down” is good posture. This is partly true yet holding the shoulders back and down isn’t the solution! We need to have balanced strength and flexibility of the muscles of the chest and upper back for the shoulders to find healthy alignment and ease of movement. Holding them in place creates tension, which is not what good posture is about.

“Stand up straight” is another common theme in the quest for good posture. Again, this is only achieved through the balance of strength and flexibility of the muscles of the back and the front giving the spine support in staying upright. Willpower won’t support your spine and just trying to hold yourself straight is not going to be effective or sustainable.

Pilates helps you improve your posture through strength and flexibility training but also through movement and awareness. Everyone has different habits and subtle imbalances and through consistent practice you can gain the strength and understanding of how to be well aligned and relaxed in your body. No one workout works for every individual which is why private sessions offer you so much in terms of making lasting changes. We all have different postural habits that need unlearning and through moving with awareness we can change these habits to find more balance and ease in our bodies. Good posture is not about effort or tension, it is the result of good movement patterns.

The sedentary lifestyle many people have now means that lots of vital movements are not experienced in daily life. the old adage “use it or lose it” is very true when applied to movement. Pilates gives you the opportunity to relearn those neglected movements and have a healthy balanced movement diet. Just like we need a balanced diet of foods we also need a balanced diet of movements!

With consistent practice of Pilates you will find your posture improves seemingly on its own. The awareness you develop coupled with the increased strength and flexibility give your body what it needs to find support with ease. Sitting and standing become easier and moving becomes more free. The benefits of your Pilates practice will improve not just your body but your whole life!