Video:All About Posture in Pilates

Transcript:All About Posture in Pilates

Hi! This is Katrina Hawley for About.com. Today, we're going to learn about posture tips for Pilates.

Proper Posture in Pilates

First, when standing and looking at the front of the body, you want to look at where the weight of the body is. Is the person shifted over to one foot, or are they shifted over to the other? Or is their weight right in the center where we want it? When the weight of the body shifts to one side or the other, this affects the pelvis. It's important to make sure when standing that the weight is equal on both feet.

Aligning the Spine in Pilates Posture

Turn profile. We want the heels, the knees, the center of the hips, the center of the ribcage and the center of the head to be lined up. Sometimes when people are standing, they shift forward, which makes some tension in the low back, or they shift back which makes some tension in the low back as well. You want to find a position where the abdominals are lifted gently, not drooping, the tailbone is dropping down, there are gentle curves in the back, and there's a plum line from the ears, to the shoulder, hips, knees and heels.

Finding the Midline in Pilates

It's really important to find the midline in Pilates so your muscles are worked in a balanced way. For example, if a person has more weight on one foot, then that side of the body is working hard, and those muscles are getting stronger. If their weight is even, then their muscles are working evenly. You can also take this to the position where you're going to do the actual Pilates exercise. You want your heels to be lined up with your sixbone, and you want an even distance between your pubic bone and each knee, and an even distance between your public bone and each heel. You also want the center of your body, your spine, to be directly in line with your sacrum and your pelvis.

Sometimes people's hips shift like this, and sometimes they shift like this, and it's important to find that center so that when you're doing an abdominal exercise, you're engaging all of your muscles evenly, on both sides. Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.