Pilates Posture Exercises

By correcting muscular imbalance, Pilates is designed to develop the best possible posture, which will have a beneficial effect on your overall health. The flexibility, strength and alignment you get when using Pilates is dynamic. One movement flows into another instead of being composed of a series of stationary poses or exercises. These techniques enhance strength and flexibility, improving your agility.

  1. Breathing While You Complete Your Pilates Posture Exercises

    • Breathing patterns incorporated into various Pilates exercises are designed to relieve anxiety and help make you more relaxed. These are learned procedures and not merely ordinary breathing.

      Professional athletes and dancers, who need to breathe properly and have great posture and alignment, were in the forefront of those practicing Pilates. Today, it's popular with many people in all walks of life. The inventor of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, said he thought the abdominal muscles, the gluteus muscles and the back muscles function as the core of human movement. With proper posture, these muscles are all held in alignment, which helps the practitioner move and breathe better.

    Specific and Simple Exercises

    • An upper back exercise incorporating an elbow lift consists of lying face down on a mat and placing your hands palms down outside of your shoulders, extending your legs. Turn your head to one side so your cheek touches the floor. Suck in your ribs and abs and lift your upper back only, while keeping your feet touching the floor. While raising your elbows higher, keep your fingertips on your shoulders. While doing this, point your nose down at the floor in order to get the best neck alignment. Try to hold for about fifteen seconds and then repeat four more times.

      Another upper back exercise is referred to as a wall wash. It requires standing against the wall with your legs apart and spine, back of your head, pelvis, upper back and tailbone against the wall. Walk a foot away from the wall and bend your knees a bit. Put your hands and elbows against the wall. Breathe as you slide them up above your shoulders, then exhale and pull back down vigorously. Do this exercise as though you were putting your hands in your back pockets. Repeat up to 15 times.