Posture Principle: when you learn to hold your body up and in, you lose five pounds instantly. When you learn to hold your body up and in (and get the girls up and off your lap) you look five years younger. How do you achieve this? Enter Pilates.Proper posture is found by first feeling your spinal column continue up through the neck and through the crown of you head. Feel the lifting and lengthening of your neck. Shoulder roll back slightly, and begin the pilates breathing.
To feel the difference Pilates can make, just try the Pilates breath. Placing your hands on your ribs, inhale your navel into your low spine. As you slowly exhale through pursed lips, pull the navel back further into your body. Press your ribs together as you exhale, like you’re trying to fasten a vest that is too small. You will immediately feel your core muscles contracting back into the body and the cinching of your waistline.
If you are feeling ambitious, grab some space on the floor and try the following Pilates movements using the Pilates breath.
