Can Pilates improve Posture?

What is good Posture?

Posture is the way in which someone holds their body when moving, sitting, or standing. Mostly it is dynamic as we are made to move. However, we often spend too much time in certain poor postures without much movement and can therefore easily develop aches and pains. Not everyone suffers pain from poor posture, but many frequently do. (Everyone is different!)

Good Posture refers to the three natural curves that are present in a healthy spine. This is called a neutral spine. It can be judged by your body’s ability to hold itself comfortably whilst at rest, in “functional alignment”. This would be a position where your joints are happy and not under any unnecessary strain.

The body would like symmetry and equal balance on both sides of the body and to have your weight evenly distributed on both feet. To also have good shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joints vertically aligned.

Pilates is about improving Posture; it’s about re-educating the way we move and being able to move through larger ranges of movement comfortably and develop better alignment of our bodies.

Can Pilates make me taller?!

Better posture can be achieved by strengthening our upper back and spine which in turn will help us to stand taller and even create more length in our bodies. Pilates focuses on lengthening and expanding muscles instead of bulking and bunching them up. This is how we get the longer leaner look! You will definitely feel taller, but it can also add some physical “height” as your posture improves, and you stand up more.

There are not many exercise methods that can help you grow taller, but Pilates just might work if you learn to engage your core correctly and improve your functional alignment.

Practice Pilates in group classes, 1-1 or online and on-demand to stand taller, to strengthen your deep postural muscles, realign your body and create a healthier and happier spine!

It’s never too late to improve your Posture.