How Pilates can help improve your posture
Good posture is something that we should all aspire to – yet, it is something that far too few of us in today’s world actually achieve.
There are understandable reasons for that. It seems these days as if we are all rushing headlong from place to place, and even when we do get an opportunity for a rest, we too often find ourselves slouched or hunched over devices, frankly not doing our bodies much good at all.
Indeed, it might be your worries about poor posture – and the consequent effects on your body and all-round health and wellbeing – that have led you to seek out a Brighton Pilates studio in the first place.
When it comes to routines for improving your posture, there really are very few options that are as effective or as safe as Pilates! But let’s take a closer look at precisely how Pilates can have such a beneficial impact on your posture.
Ingraining Pilates into your body can profoundly change your posture – for good
As an exercise, Pilates places a great emphasis on core strengthening, flexibility, and the correction of muscle imbalances. For these reasons, it can be a perfect option for those who worry about their poor posture and how it may be impacting on their body.
However, if you are suffering from postural pains and strains, I would urge you to seek out medical advice before commencing a Pilates regime, in case there are any serious spinal conditions that are contributing to your problems.
Putting aside whether there are any medical conditions to rule out, attendance at a Brighton Pilates studio – or for that matter, the use of online on-demand classes – could help improve your posture in various ways.
Pilates has a great track record of assisting in the improvement of core strength and flexibility, and the correction of muscle imbalances that you might not have previously even been aware of.
The focus of Pilates on healthy postural alignment, balance and stability doesn’t just introduce you to an exercise that represents a good long-term habit – it can also profoundly change your posture, to such an extent that your body defaults to healthy patterns and alignment in your day-to-day life.
The typical Pilates class at a Brighton Pilates studio like mine will work your entire body, beginning with activating the core, before progressing to focus on the rest of the body.
A focus on the “core” helps to make Pilates a truly all-round exercise
When Pilates instructors like me talk about “the core”, we aren’t just referring to the six-pack muscles – we’re actually referencing your whole torso, encompassing such elements as the abdominals, obliques, chest, back, and pelvis.
This emphasis on training the core, rather than on tackling muscle groups in isolation, has a lot to do with the success of Pilates in helping to improve posture.
Take on Pilates, and whatever your present skill, experience and fitness level might be, you can be quickly correcting imbalances in your body, and achieving alignment to help enhance your posture and minimise any pain you might currently be experiencing.
Hopefully, the above has given you a sense of just how effective Pilates can be for helping you increase your flexibility and strength and improve your posture for good. If you would like to learn more about what could be possible when you commit to Pilates classes with me, why not get in touch with Brighton Pilates today via our online contact form?