Pilates for Posture

Have you ever caught yourself in a reflection and noticed that your head pokes forward and your shoulders are hunched? Have you ever thought about why you look this way and more importantly wondered how to improve your posture?

Posture is a funny thing. Funny because people associate posture as bad. We don’t believe posture is either bad or good but rather want to put these questions forward to you. Is your posture serving you? Do you feel stiff and tense? Are your neck and shoulders always hurting? Are you happy with the way you look? How does it make you feel when you see yourself in that reflection?

Kyphosis and Sway Back Postures are the most common types of postures and form as a result of what we are doing; mainly sitting and working at a desk. Our inactivity is increasing and our health is decreasing.

Posture correction: using Pilates for posture improvement

Postural change takes time.

Posture is formed similar to how candle wax melts when heated and stays in that shape when cooled. Repetitive movement or static held positions will result in the body being shaped in the direction of that tension. You see it very much in single handed sport where you are overusing one side of your body hitting a tennis ball for instance. You can also see it very clearly in desk based workers where sitting staring at a computer for hours creates a head forward position and overtly rounded upper back.

The melted shape of the candle wax can change and Pilates is your answer to creating that change.

Pilates’ roots are strongly held in creating better alignment and postural balance in the body. Postural balance then has a huge knock on effect in lessening pain and stiffness, decreasing injury, increasing mobility, strength and flexibility, and helping you to stand more upright, feeling elongated and light in the way you stand.

Imagine how great it would feel to have all of this.

But what you need to do is commit to making that change because there isn’t a magic wand to give it to you instantly and here is a good place to leave you with Joseph Pilates’ words.

“You will feel better in ten sessions, look better in twenty sessions, and have a completely new body in thirty sessions”