27/05/16

One of the guiding principles in Pilates is alignment, which means how our body is positioned, both when we are still, and when we move. Good postural alignment is fundamental, and, as Pilates practitioners, we spend a significant amount of time with beginners and advanced clients alike to instil this guiding principle.

Efficient postural alignment places the least strain on our joints, ligaments and muscles, as well as allowing our muscles their ideal resting length from which they function best, resulting in a reduced risk of injury, effective exercise, and a positive improvement in how we move.

What Does Good Postural Alignment Look Like?
In a perfectly aligned body, our ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder should be stacked directly on top of each other. A vertical line could be drawn through all weight-bearing joints forming a central axis that divides the body nearly exactly in half. With the weight-bearing joints stacked, our bones are doing their primary job – holding us up, while our muscles are free to relax, and do not become achy after sitting or standing for long periods of time.



The woman above is a Pilates instructor.

• The far left photo is exactly what good postural alignment looks like. This is her natural standing posture – absolutely perfect! Her weight-bearing joints are stacked, and she looks relaxed.
• In the middle left image, she is demonstrating a very common posture type where the pelvis is pushed forwards and the legs are slanted.
• In the middle right photo the common posture type is even more exaggerated. When the pelvis is pushed forward it causes the lower back to arch. The exaggerated curve in the lower back is generally counter-balanced by hunched shoulders and a forward head position.
• In the far right photo she is showing the overly tense military style position that many people associate with good posture. Notice that the weight bearing joints are stacked, but the majority of her weight is in front of the yellow line. She is arching and there is a great deal of tension in her neck and back.

Top Tips For Good Standing Posture

• Hips Stacked Over Ankles – to ensure your legs aren’t slanted forward, look to your ankles and this will force your pelvis back into the correct neutral position.
• Think Length – gently lengthen your body by pressing your weight through your feet into the floor while subtly extending your head through the crown (imagine someone gently pulling your hair upwards at the crown). This should feel relaxed and in no way a strained position.
• Head & Neck Relaxation – while your head and neck is long and lengthened through the crown, your chin is free to gently nod. The length in the back of the neck should feel relaxed and free from tension - neck and shoulder muscles require little work to hold your head in this perfectly balanced position.
• Open Shoulders – the aim is for shoulders to open up by making your upper back wider. Rather than pinching the shoulder blades to adopt a military style posture, roll each shoulder independently forward, up, back and down. Relax and take a few deep breaths and imagine your shoulders getting further apart with each breath out.
• Ribs Drawn Down – as the aim of good postural alignment is relaxation, your chest needs to be in a comfortable, restful position, not strained with ribs lifted and flared. Allow the lower ribs to come down into the body so that the rib cage is not angling backwards.

Once this position is adopted, you will feel a straightening and lengthening of the lower back.