Almost half of the working Australian population describe their day as mostly sitting at a desk (ABS, 2022). Whilst we spend our days staring at a screen, it’s likely poor posture can follow, with our backs becoming hunched like a prawn by the time we are able to leave the office.

It’s an all too common experience that we often tell ourselves we should maybe care about a little more. The good news is that it’s never too late to be working on your posture and there’s actually no such thing as “perfect posture”.

Kic Pilates trainer, Christina, answers all your pertinent posture questions and how a sustainable Pilates practice can help improve this.

So, how can Pilates exercises target posture and core strength?

Pilates is traditionally based around spinal movement, and movement across all planes of the spine via our abdominals ie; Extension, flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation. When our spines are strong along all these planes, it can allow our bodies to be free of tension and feel lifted and lengthened.

What are some key Pilates moves that are particularly effective for improving posture?

Any movement where you get to move your spine in the opposite way of how it sits throughput most of your day. If you sit at a desk most of the day, any thoracic extension paired with a chest opener can help you feel less rounded and hunched, something like swan prep alongside chest expansion. If you’re a parent holding children all day, your lumbar can benefit from any type of flexion and lower abdominal strengthener, so something like a half roll back or hip roll.

What should someone new to Pilates keep in mind when starting a routine aimed at improving posture?

That there is no such thing as the perfect posture, and “good” posture does not necessarily mean that we will be pain free. Its more about moving and strengthening across our entire system, a strong healthy body looks different on everyone and is not a one size fits all.

Are there any common mistakes people make when using Pilates to improve their posture?

Again, its usually the approach that a perfect posture exists, and that achieving it will lead to being pain free. Its important to move for the sake of being strong and well rounded, and to do the type of movement that feels genuinely good for your body and mind.

How can we keep maintaining good posture throughout daily activities, beyond Pilates classes?

Being mindful of where you hold tension and stress throughout your day can help a lot. For example, dropping your shoulders if you tend to shrug them, or unclenching the jaw if thats how you deal with stress. It can make a world of difference by the end of the day.

Which Kic classes would you suggest adding in to help improve posture?

‘Tune into your body’ and ‘Total body amp up’ are both classes of mine in the Kic app which will help build that back and core strength to help improve your posture.