In today’s world of sedentary desk jobs, slouching and scrolling, poor posture has become all too common. Without a concerted effort to improve your posture, this can lead to discomfort, muscle tightness, and even longer term back issues.
Keep these five simple yet effective Pilates moves on hand any time you are feeling tight in your neck, chest, shoulders and back, and want to relieve tension while also fostering better long-term posture.
Seated Rotations
- Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Keep your spine long and shoulders relaxed down away from your ears.
- Lengthen one arm out to the side and plant your hand. Bring the other hand behind your head with your elbow pointing up to the ceiling.
- Inhale to prepare, engaging your core muscles.
- As you exhale, rotate your torso so that your top elbow taps down towards the bottom elbow.
- Inhale to return to the start position, then exhale and repeat the rotation.
- Aim for 8 reps on each side.
Kneeling Bow Pose
- Begin in four-point kneeling with your hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips.
- Extend your left arm and right leg away from your body.
- Bend through your right knee and reach your left arm around to take a hold of your right ankle.
- Press your hand and foot into one another to find an arch in your back as you lift your chest proud.
- Hold for 3-5 deep breaths then switch sides.
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Aim for 3 reps on each side.
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Shoulder Release
- From a four-point kneeling position, reach your right arm up toward the ceiling, feeling your chest neck and shoulders open and release.
- Thread your right arm behind your left, allowing your gaze to follow the right hand down, dropping your weight down into your right shoulder.
- Pick your left hand up and wrap it around your back to rest on your right hip.
- Enjoy the stretch for 3-5 deep breaths before slowly releasing out of the pose and switching sides.
- Aim for 5 reps on each side.
Resisted Dead Bug
- Lie on your back with an imprint spine, your arms above your shoulders extended toward the ceiling, and knees above your hips bent at 90 degrees.
- Drop your right hand to the top of your left knee and press into the knee, finding resistance between your hand and knee that engages your core.
- Inhale to prepare, then as you exhale extend your left arm and right leg away from your body, then inhale to draw back to the start position.
- Maintain the press of your hand into knee throughout the entire exercise.
- Aim for 8 reps on each side.
Ab Curl over Pilates Ball
- From seated, position the Pilates ball underneath the base of your shoulder blades. Slowly roll your body back until your spine is fully supported over the ball.
- Place your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your head with elbows open.
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Inhale to prepare, then as you exhale lift your upper body into an ab curl, pulling your belly down toward your spine. Inhale as you slowly lower back down, keeping your movements controlled and fluid.
- Aim for 12 reps.
This full workout Pilates for Posture can be found in the PBB online studio here, as part of the 3-week Improve Your Posture Challenge. Give it a go with a 7-day free trial here!
