Benefits for posture

Sore back, tight neck, stiffness, recurrent sporting injuries … sound familiar? Tired of these complaints? Pilates is the answer for you! Let us consider our life today…

We live in a fast-paced world where we are challenged with physical, emotional and mental stresses which are dangerous to our bodies and general well-being. The poor physical condition many of us are in comes from spending countless hours sitting in front of computers, bent over our desks, sitting in cars or running around lifting, lugging and creating havoc in our bodies.

If you think about how you sit and stand, you will probably find that you sink most of your weight into your lower torso. This causes undue stress onto muscles of the lower back resulting in soreness and promoting poor posture. (Did you know? Poor posture also creates the “beer belly” and “love handles” which we spend most of our lives trying to combat!)

Movement of the spine is the key to health. The basic foundation of the body’s function starts from the spinal cord. It is therefore imperative that the spine maintains its flexibility and function in order to prevent injuries.

So how exactly will Pilates help you? Pilates works to strengthen those core stabilizers of the trunk which counteract the gravitational forces acting on the intervertebral joints. The core muscles work on increasing the spaces between the discs thereby allowing the spine to lengthen and improve posture.

By strengthening the core muscles, not only are you increasing stability in the spine, but you are also improving your flexibility and strength. Recurring injuries are a sign that the stabilizers responsible are not adequately strengthened.