by Natalie I. Kelly

Created on: February 04, 2011   Last Updated: February 05, 2011

Stand up straight.  Don’t slouch. 

Memories from our childhood, as parents, teachers, and dance instructors repeated the words, with a tap on the back to encourage good posture.   With a heavy sigh and roll of the eyes, we would stand tall and slouch back in to comfort within seconds.  Now as we are older and wiser, understanding the benefits of good posture is essential to our health. 

So what is good posture?  Is it as simple as standing tall? 

Not really, and it can be complicated by aging, disease, genetics, repetitive movement, poor habits, poor body awareness and many other factors.   A simple awareness of posture is to imagine a plumb line that goes through your body.  The line represents where our bodies position/or posture should be in standing

By a side view the line would begin at the top of the head to the ear lobe, through the center of the shoulder, to the hip joint, behind the kneecap and ending between the heel and arch of the foot.

By a back view the line is in the center of the head, along the line of the spine, between the lines of the buttocks, to the floor (each leg should be evenly spaced from the line).

An example of poor posture would be the head and shoulders falling in front of the side view line. 

Can Pilates change or improve our posture?  How does it affect our posture?

Yes, Pilates can and have changed many individuals’ posture, body and appearance.  After all, the words of Joseph Pilate can be heard, “In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference and in 30 session you will have a whole new body.”

How can Pilates achieve these results and change our posture? 

To understand, you need to know the original six Principles of Pilates (concentration, control, centering, precision, flow, and breathing).  As you read the meaning of the principles you understand that the philosophy of Pilates is a mind body connection that works to create a balance of strength, flexibility, mental awareness, and creating a consciousness of movement.  So when working with Pilates it not only transforms your body, but helps to create awareness of movement in everyday life.  The movement of how we sit, walk, or stand is what changes our posture and Pilates when done with deep practice can have a powerful impact on a person.  While there are structural irregularities and other factors that may be beyond change, you can still achieve improved posture and awareness.  So enjoy that next Pilates class and notice how you feel taller, lighter and flow more freely with each step and don’t forget, “stand up straight.”

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