Posture perfect

Anjali Sareen shares the mantra to strengthen, sculpt, and improve your posture

Pilates, as we know it today, was originally called “Contrology” by its creator, Joseph Pilates. The term “Contrology” is an apt description because Pilates is all about control, precision of movement, and fluidity. It’s a method that aims to enhance functional movement, improve posture, and strengthen the body through mindful exercise. As Pilates himself said, “Change happens through movement, and movement heals.”

Our daily activities and lifestyle habits significantly affect our posture, fitness, and health. These imbalances often lead to physical discomfort, impacting not only our body but also our emotional and mental well-being. Pilates addresses these concerns by focusing on alignment, muscular engagement, breathing patterns, and mind-body coordination to restore balance and movement efficiency.

Alignments

Good alignment is the first step to correcting postural and muscular imbalances. Pilates helps you develop an enhanced awareness of your body and how to move it correctly without overstraining. For instance, many people unknowingly accumulate tension in their shoulders and upper back during everyday tasks like reaching overhead, lifting objects, or working at a computer. Pilates encourages proper movement patterns throughout the day, not just during workouts, which reduces tension, and stress, and helps improve posture.

Muscular engagements

Learning how to engage muscles effectively is key to Pilates. By stabilising the body through muscle engagement, movements are controlled and safer, minimising the risk of injury. Many exercise injuries occur due to an emphasis on speed or range of motion without proper muscle engagement. Pilates teaches you to move with control and stability, allowing for stronger, more powerful movements that progressively lead to greater strength and sculpting results.

Quality of movement

Unlike traditional workouts that often focus on repetitive sets to exhaust the body, Pilates emphasises the quality of movement. Each exercise is designed with alignment, muscle engagement, and breath in mind to ensure maximum effectiveness without the risk of injury. The result? A workout that energises both the mind and body, leaving you feeling tall and strong, not drained.

Core & strength

Pilates focuses on core and functional strength. Unlike conventional workouts, Pilates doesn’t rely on increasing resistance or weight to make exercises harder. Instead, lighter resistance and emphasis on core engagement raise the challenge, building functional strength and teaching the body to move as a unified system.

Mind-body focus

Pilates requires the coordination of mind and body. By engaging the mind to activate muscles with intention and precision, Pilates encourages fluid movement and strength. This leads to improved posture and a toned, well-balanced body. Strong, controlled movements not only enhance physical strength but also improve mental focus.

The all-important breath

Breathing plays a crucial role in Pilates, helping create the fluidity and flow that the method is known for. Pilates breathing involves deep, controlled breaths to improve circulation, stabilise the spine, and support stronger movements. Specific inhale and exhale patterns also engage core muscles, crucial for building a toned midsection and ensuring optimal muscle activation.

Joseph Pilates often claimed he was 50 years ahead of his time — and he was right. Over the past two decades, Pilates has gained immense popularity worldwide. It’s now used not only for fitness but also for rehabilitation. Athletes, celebrities, fitness enthusiasts, and even CEOs and entrepreneurs all rely on Pilates to build stronger, more sculpted bodies with improved posture and higher energy levels.

In today’s pursuit of a more sustainable, holistic approach to fitness, Pilates offers benefits that go beyond physical strength. It addresses both mental and emotional well-being, making it an effective tool for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

(The author works in Pilates, general fitness, sports, rehabilitation, and special needs, and is a Master Trainer for Pilates and movement for physiotherapists, sports trainers, dancers, yoga instructors, and personal trainers.)