I am a Pilates Posture Pedant!
I loved reading this blog. Like the author, one of my all time favourite past times is people watching. Teaching, practicing and studying the Pilates method for the last 10 years has turned me into a “Pilates Posture Pedant”. You will have heard me in Reformer Pilates classes describe the “Westfield Shopping Town Posture”, the “Steel Cap Boot Wearer Walk”, the “Chronic Selfie-Taker Stance”. Again, like the author of this blog, I often attempt to mimic these different postures to experience the muscles that will over time become short and tight and those whose fate is to become long and weak. Remember it is quick and easy for a bad habit to become ‘normal’. It’s a lot harder and takes longer to retrain and correct poor patterning. It’s never too late to start, so let’s start now! Look at how you sit. Look at how you stand. How does your body feel when you change or challenge yourself to improve your posture?
The exercises we do in Mat and Reformer Pilates classes to improve posture involve lengthening and strengthening the muscles around the spine – e.g. Rowing, Chest Expansion and Plough. Great posture also relies heavily on your ability to move well through all planes of movement of the spine – flexion, extension, rotation, side bends. Exercises like rolldowns, pelvic curls, cat/cow stretch, even our favourite, criss cross, all mobilise the spine. Strength and mobility! In your Pilates practice aim to perfect your Pilates posture at the start of every exercise and maintain that posture for the exercise duration. Small steps will produce big results.
Back to the blog – take a look at the segment on the relationship between posture, emotion and thought – I especially found this interesting. Consider their order in your life. Is your posture dictated to by your thoughts and emotions? Can you improve your mood by adjusting your posture? Be observant of your postural habits and please don’t hesitate to ask me to do a quick postural analysis for you the next time you’re in the studio.
