Let’s be realistic.
If you’re 5’3” and start Pilates, you won’t end up 5’7”, BUT, with a stronger core, you’ll stand up straighter, and that 5’3” will be perceived taller. I’m 5’6 ½”, and most people think I’m taller than that. I tell them it’s Pilates - because it is!
Having a strong core means you don’t slouch, slump, or stoop all the time. It alleviates neck tension, lower back pain, and shoulder strain, and that all contributes to how tall you look.
If you feel like you’re losing height as you age, or if you already have poor posture, Pilates can assist in bringing you back to (or at least closer to) your original height. It’s not just the ab work (you can read more about ab work in general & it’s effect on height here). It’s everything we focus on in your practice.
Pilates works your body in all planes of movement, so it helps maintain your flexibility and mobility, no matter how old you are. We focus on flexion, extension, rotation, and side flexion in every workout. Each exercise is a full-body exercise, so unlike typical gym workouts that focus on one body part at a time, Pilates encourages your body to work as a whole, all the time.
That translates OFF the mat as well! We work to find the smaller, supportive muscles you don’t typically recruit and bring them into play in your everyday life.
Your upper back strength is pivotal in keeping your neck long and preventing tech-neck or a dowager’s hump (google at your own risk, my friend). We focus on your upper back connection in each exercise to help balance the work of your abs and chest and keep the lower back from straining.
The “two-way stretch” we try to find in each movement creates length and reach, so you’re accustomed to finding height in any position. That contributes to how you move when you’re walking around a farmer’s market, playing with your kids or grandkids, playing golf, or driving your car. You start to notice your body doesn’t feel great in a position you once were in all the time – but it’s easy to correct and maintain the better positions your body craves.
You’ll FEEL taller, hold yourself differently, and inhabit your body better with the entire Pilates repertoire, no matter if it’s the mat, small equipment, or large equipment that you’re using. They’ll all benefit your spine, your posture, and ultimately how tall you look.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll take all the height I can get!
The thing is, you won’t really know if Pilates will make you taller until you try it! And no matter what, it’s better than doing nothing and feeling worse.
Xo, Kimberly
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