Pilates for posture: “You look great! How are you doing?”

For many people, the source of their lower back pain is poor posture. The pain is usually caused by certain muscles being stronger than their opposite ones, hence the reason you lean forward.

If you are naturally in the flexed position (head and shoulders forward of the spine) when you stand up, that puts a lot of stress on your back and can cause pain.

At the very heart of Pilates are exercises that are meant to strengthen your core, the muscles responsible for good posture, including your abdominals and back stabilizers, and can get you back on your feet again.

Pilates not only strengthens your core muscles to improve posture, but also:

• Creates a neutral spinal alignment
• Increases awareness of your posture.
• Helps you breathe better
• Improves joint flexibility

Creates a neutral spinal alignment

Neutral spinal alignment is where the neck, shoulders, and head are aligned or centered over the spine so there is no imbalance or more strength in front of or behind the spine. It is this imbalance that may be the root cause of back pain.

Increases awareness of your posture.

Part of the Pilates philosophy is to focus or create awareness on doing the exercises in the most correct way possible. By doing the exercise, you become more aware of how to control your muscles, including the muscles that create good posture. After a while, you will use this awareness of posture as you go about your daily life. The result will be a slimmer and longer appearance because you will walk and stand straight and tall.

Helps you breathe better

Another benefit of a better posture is that you will breathe easier. Because you are now standing up, your diaphragm is able to work better, allowing you to exhale better and take in more air when you inhale. This in turn provides more oxygen to the muscles so they can respond better to Pilates exercises.

Improves joint flexibility

With Pilates, you are stretching the muscles and ligaments connected to a joint through their full range of motion. By doing so, you are creating a balance in strength within your muscles, allowing them to be more flexible. Greater flexibility also helps with balance and can make daily tasks easier.

When it comes to exercise that will improve posture, there is no better program than Pilates. As you get more erect, get flatter abs, exude confidence, and show off that elongated, lean look, you’ll be asked “You look great! How are you doing?” That will be your verification that Pilates is right for you.