Enhance Your Forward-Slouching Posture with This Pilates Trainer's Five-Exercise Regime: Aiming to alleviate tension in your chest and boost upper back strength.
Hey there! Here's a fun five-move Pilates routine to help tackle shoulder slouching and improve your posture, no matter if you're working or snuggling a little one. This sequence was created by Vanessa Michielon, a new mom, Pilates teacher, and founder of the Transformative Movement Method. Let's dive right in!
Let's get started with this Pilates shoulder sequence
Assemble your yoga mat and make sure you have enough room to move around. Adding arm weights is optional, but go for it if you want some extra resistance!
Michielon emphasizes the importance of maintaining correct posture throughout each exercise. So, remember to:
- Gently hug your abdominals instead of pushing your belly toward the floor.
- Keep your pubic bone pressing into the mat and maintain length in your spine.
- Maintain a neutral neck, either keeping your eyes looking towards the front of the mat or down to the floor.
The Pilates moves
Now, let's get into the exercises themselves!
1. Chest and arm lift
What's the point?: This move helps activate your mid and upper-back muscles, opens your chest, and counters shoulder slouching.
What to do?:
- Start by lying on your stomach with your arms by your sides, facing upwards.
- Engage your abdominals, press your pubic bone into the mat, and lift your forehead just off the mat.
- Inhale to prepare, then as you exhale, lift your chest and arms. Focus on lengthening through the crown of your head.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds, then inhale as you lower with control.
- Repeat this 10 times for a complete set!
2. Arm circles
What's the purpose?: This exercise helps mobilize your shoulder joints while maintaining back extension and builds endurance in your postural muscles.
What to do?:
- Follow the same setup as the chest and arm lift.
- With your arms by your sides and facing upwards, lift your chest and arms, focusing on lengthening through the crown of your head.
- Move your arms gently to draw small circles—remember to keep your shoulders away from your ears and maintain length through your spine!
- Perform 5-10 circles in one direction, then switch directions for another set.
3. Hand tap
Why is it important?: This move mobilizes your shoulders and encourages scapular retraction to help lengthen your neck.
What's the drill?:
- Stay lying on your stomach with your arms by your sides, facing upwards.
- Lift your chest and arms, focusing on lengthening through the crown of your head as usual.
- Bend your elbows to bring your fingertips close to your lower back.
- Extend your arms, but keep your chest and arms lifted. Repeat the arm movement 6-8 times.
4. Single-arm extension from cactus arms
What's the goal?: This move improves back-body awareness and unilateral control.
How to perform it?:
- Lie on your stomach, bend your elbows to 90° with your upper arms level with your shoulders, and palms facing down.
- Lift your chest and arms, focusing on lengthening through the crown of your head.
- Without moving your torso, extend one arm at a time behind you towards your hip.
- Return to the start, then repeat on the other side. Shoot for 5 reps on each side, doing a rep on one side and then the other immediately afterwards.
5. Elbow pull
What's the aim?: This move deepens activation of the latissimus dorsi, releases neck tension, and builds strength in your posterior chain.
What's the process?:
- Get into the cactus arms starting position.
- Engage your abdominals, lift your chest and arms, focusing on lengthening through the crown of your head as per usual.
- Inhale to prepare, then as you exhale, move your elbows towards your waist, drawing your shoulder blades closer together.
- Focus on lengthening the neck, not compressing the back. Keep the movement smooth and controlled as you move your arms back towards the front, inhaling.
- Repeat the arm movement 8-10 times.
Now that you've learned these moves, go ahead and give this Pilates routine a try! Just remember to maintain the correct posture throughout each exercise, and you'll be well on your way to improving your posture and saying goodbye to shoulder slouching. Happy training!
Assemble your yoga mat and make sure you have enough room to move around, you may choose to add arm weights for extra resistance. Remember to maintain correct posture throughout each exercise: gently hug your abdominals, keep your pubic bone pressing into the mat, and maintain length in your spine. In addition to the Pilates sequence for shoulder slouching, you might also find the following exercises beneficial for your health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise routine.
- Yoga: Expand your practice by incorporating poses like Downward-Facing Dog, Warrior III, and Extended Side Angle, as these postures help strengthen your spine and improve your posture.
- Science: Research the benefits of incorporating variety in your workouts, as multiple exercises targeting different muscle groups help reduce the risk of injury and promote overall health.
