Everyone talks about how good Pilates is for their posture. But what actually makes it good?

Before we can pull apart what makes Pilates good for posture, we first need to understand what posture is. The general population’s take on posture, for the most part, is when someone references how upright their body is from a vertical perspective, usually from sitting or standing. The idea that we must stand up straight (and that slouching is bad for us) is drilled in to us from a very young age, and there is some scientific evidence that leans towards supporting this claim. For instance; Evidence of how much heavier our head becomes the further forward it sits of our midline (1) and how it can, in turn, impact blood flow and muscular function. Yes, this is true, however the reality is that our posture is dynamic, and we aren’t designed to hold any one particular position for a long period of time. And although we have hundreds of muscles that support our bones to keep us upright, the majority of these fatigue within a few minutes if they are held in a contracted state for a few minutes. So this idea of holding an upright, vertical posture can be very tricky, and also very fatiguing!

So what actually determines how long to hold muscles engaged for certain periods of time? Our reflexes, and our brain. The reflexes are built in to us at the level of the spinal cord and do a lot of the heavy lifting for controlling basic movement, to free up the brain for things that require a bit more problem solving. But both are fed by our sensory feedback loop (2) to ensure we know where we are in space at all times.

The Sensory System

Broadly speaking, the sensory system is made up of our skin, eyes, taste, smell, proprioception (bones, joints, muscles, tendons), and our vestibular system. They each play an integrated and integral role in organising where our body is in space, against gravity, at any given moment in time. Our eyes determine what’s around us from what we can see, and fire off reflexes when required to keep us safe. Same with smell and taste - think of the last time you smelt or tasted something revolting, and I’m sure you’ll relate to a physical reaction you had to it, whether it be to move around, or spit something out. Our skin tells us if we are touching something and how - is it hot, cold, sharp or smooth - and again we have reflexes built to the level of our spinal cord to react in specific situations, but also sometimes we have to consciously decide how we wish to react if it’s a new thing. But by far in a way, in terms of posture, our vestibular system is the most powerful thing.

Our vestibular system is made up of three semicircular canals and two organs. The three semicircular canals - anterior, posterior, and horizontal - are all at right angles to each other and determine movements in different angles, such as twisting and sideways, and relate more to the eyes for positioning our head correctly at all times. The two organs are the Utricle and Saccule, which determine linear movements such as forward and back, and relate more to balance (3). They all have fluid running through them which flushes over a special blend of crystals to determine how are head is moving at all times, and therefore where our body needs to be in order to maintain safety of the brain.So if we simplify that a bit, you may say that our vestibular system tells us how to position our head, and the body below it, in conjunction with the remainder of the sensory system. When our vestibular system is stimulated and well organised, it will recruit the muscles on the back half of our body to be prepared to counterbalance us against forward movements. When it’s under-stimulated, the back muscles aren’t organised very well, and as such you can start to see the classic slouch or hunch that is often related to those with ‘bad’ posture.

Pilates and the sensory system

So at what point did Pilates start to get a good wrap for posture? Well Joseph Pilates was a big advocate for having an upright position, and there are many photos of him walking around with a big open chest and his stomach pulled in to show how upright and healthy he was. Many people started to also notice changes in their posture from working with Pilates and soon the two things, Pilates and Posture, became entwined. But if we consider what Pilates was, which was prescribed exercises for flexibility and strength, we can consider that it was targeting one particular part of our sensory system - our proprioception, or how our musculoskeletal system feedback to the brain about where our joints were at any moment in time. This in itself is really helpful - bad posture is often teamed with shortened muscles or joint ranges of movement, but learning to move joints into their full range will change how the brain perceives them, and how they can be better utilised for ideal posture. And extra support from a stronger abdominal wall will also provide a strong foundation from which the shoulders, neck and head can align.

But the other thing that Pilates did a great job of, whether he knew it or not, was he stimulated the vestibular system. Whether it be the linear movements of foot work on the reformer; or the rolling patterns of the roll up, rolling like a ball, or boomerang mat exercise; by creating exercises that moved the head though space, often with a fair bit of momentum, he was creating a strong stimulation to the vestibular system that would fire it up to better organise the bodies posterior muscles, and therefore our head in space. And without a doubt, combined with a rearranged proprioception of the body, posture had to become more erect and prepared to move against gravity. The only area in which Pilates fell short in relation to Posture was the focus on singular plane movements. It almost became a little bit robotic, and as such posture became stiff and rigid, as opposed to the fluid and flowing postures you see in kids around us who just act, rather than brace and stiffen against resistance. This rigidness also sometimes limited rotation and lateral flexion of the spine, key movements for supporting our daily activities such as walking, running, turning to do something, or bending down to grab something off the floor.

So do I have to do Pilates to have good posture?

Absolutely not! Remember that good is a relative term, and our brain will always choose your posture based on what is the safest, most energy efficient position for you to be in at the moment in time. Pilates does amazing things for helping us move better, and more often, and in ways that stimulate our reflexive postural controls. But it’s by no means the only way to do it - as long as you can keep your joints strong and mobile, and do lots of different movements that move your head in lots of different ways, then you’re also doing a great job. Remember you can improve your posture simply by stimulating your vestibular system (think about jumping, spinning quickly for example), or simply by trying to stiffen your body and sit up tall. Ideally if you can improve your underlying strength and alignment, then holding a more erect posture will become more energy efficient, but that will only last until you next need to move, and then it all starts again! So the summary point? Posture is dynamic, and informed by the world around you - there isn’t an ideal posture, but the stronger and more flexible you can be, the more likely the posture you find yourself in at any moment in time will be one that’s going to be good for your health in the long run.