Improve your Posture with Pilates…

4 min readOct 25, 2020

I am passionate about movement, this is not new news! I am particularly interested in posture and alignment and the contribution it makes to pain and dysfunction. I see so many people who have pain and problems with the neck and shoulders and I am always at great pains to point out the ideal alignment for the neck during my Bone Healthy Pilates Classes.

A common postural defect is called the Upper Crossed Syndrome which describes a particular set of circumstances; a combination of some weak, or inhibited muscles and some tight, or overactive muscles in and around the neck and shoulders. (First described by Professor Vladimir Janda in 1979)

But why does this happen? As with most anomalies it is rarely one thing but more likely a combination of factors including; the overall effects of gravity on posture, our increased reliance on handheld technology and screens, our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, long days behind a desk or driving. I also feel that age related visual deterioration and use of bifocal or varifocal lenses goes a long way to contribute to this posture.

Consider the effects of posture on the apparent weight of the head

Gravity is constantly pressing down on us and the more forward the head comes to lie this effectively increases the weight of the head. The muscles have to work so much harder as a result and this goes some way to explain why this posture can provoke pain and overactivity of the muscles which are fighting against this postural presentation.

After the onset of menopause it is worth noting that a fairly reliable predictor for the likelihood of osteoporotic spinal compression fracture is the occiput /wall test. When we stand against a wall and measure the distance of the occiput (a bony protuberance at the base of the skull) from the wall. A distance of greater than 7cm can predict the likelihood of a thoracic vertebral fracture with high accuracy.

Reference

The presentation you see pictured above is as good a reason as any to be more aware of the alignment on the head and neck and take action sooner rather than later.

So what can we do?

If I said Pilates could help would you be surprised?

The general principles are to stretch and release tight/overactive muscles and re-educate and strengthen weakened/inhibited muscles

I am also very keen that when working out core musculature during pilates that we are not fuelling this postural set with crunches and curls and that if we do for whatever reason lift the head away from the ground that the deep neck flexors are activated to support the cervical lordosis from the front.

This all sounds very technical…..because it is. Hence the value of working with a Physiotherapist to ensure you are gaining the most benefit from the exercises that you do and not reinforcing this unhelpful postural presentation.

Join Your first session for FREE

Strengthen scapular stabilising muscles for improved posture

NEW Precizion Podcast

Fitness, why bother? Catch Phillipa’s TopTips in this episode.

This time the tables are turned and I am the interviewee. Graham Coath is doing his bit for health and wellness and he says ‘’I want to help people to live a better life’’. This we definitely have in common and so Graham and I chatted about what it means to be fit, the benefits of movement in midlife, how to tackle getting fitter and how to seal the deal and develop healthy habits that last a lifetime. Grab your earpods, put on your pedometer and take some steps or feel free to stand on 1 leg or hold a small child at arms length, whatever floats your boat. A giggle and some good common sense advice ensues.