By : Bensu Balioglu
Pilates And Franklin Method Instructor
Is Pilates Good For Posture?
How many hours do you sit at a desk a day? Or how many hours do you keep your head down and look at your phone? Do you complain about how bad your posture is after making all these mistakes? So, what does good posture mean?
The first thing we need to know about posture is this: 'good posture' does not mean sitting or standing upright. Posture is a movement. Therefore, good posture means our body can easily enter different positions. The key to good posture is not stretching, but strengthening our muscles so you can stand up straighter against gravity! Although most of us are unaware of it, posture is a battle we fight against gravity at all times.
So does Pilates help with good posture?
Thanks to Pilates, we reduce the load on our shoulders and neck; we relieve pressure on our pelvis, knees, and ankles; Initially, we strengthen the deep core muscles known as the 'powerhouse' such as the abdomen, back, and pelvic floor. If you spend most of your day in front of your computer, focus on your phone most of the day, and find yourself always rounding your back, pilates is for you. Rounding your back changes the shape of your rib cage, which can put pressure on organs. It prevents the ribs and lungs from expanding properly, leading to bad breathing. Studies have shown poor breathing patterns are bad for your mental and physical health. Forward head posture caused by constantly lifting your neck to the computer screen can also be harmful to the central nervous system.
Another consequence of a constantly rounded spine is a stiff back. If one area of your body is stiffer, another place will normally take the stress. As a result, a stiffer thoracic puts more pressure on other parts of the spine, which can contribute to lower back pain or neck pain. With good posture, the muscles around the spine are not under pressure and are distributed to use the muscles as intended.
Good posture is directly linked to movement as we have a greater range of motion in our joints when we maintain good posture. According to Bill Fabrocini, "If we have a stable core that can keep the spine stable and aligned, then distal joint mechanics are enhanced to maintain mobility throughout the hip and shoulder girdles."
As the La Barre family, our first goal is to teach our clients how to maintain good posture. We provide our students with very important and valuable information about their own bodies with our course content consisting of exercises that support good posture. After the classes that include both mental and physical experiences, the feedback we receive from our clients says that they have achieved good posture.
If you want to have a better posture, book your place now to be a part of this family.
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