Welcome to the Fitness Pilates Weekly Newsletter Posture — A Perfect Theme for Your Next Fitness Pilates Week This morning I was thinking about posture. Look around any café, office, or gym and you’ll see the same pattern everywhere: rounded shoulders, head jutting forward, upper back rounded for so many people. A Posture-Focused Week in your Fitness Pilates classes would not only be extremely useful for your clients, it also gives you ready-made ideas for newsletters, articles and social media content. Even as Fitness Pilates teachers we are not immune — we lean forward to correct our participants, we sit at laptops, and we crane our necks to read our devices. All of this shapes our posture over time. Why Posture Gets Worse as We Age Posture usually declines not because of age itself, but because of the habits that come with ageing:More sitting and screen time → tight chest, weak upper backLoss of muscle mass → less support for the spineReduced mobility → joints stiffen and movement patterns narrowChronic stress → upper traps tighten, breathing becomes shallowLess physical activity → compensations set inVision changes → head creeps forward to see more clearlyIn other words, the body adapts to repetition and lack of counter-movement — it is not “inevitable”. Can We Really Improve Rounded Shoulders and Posture?For most people — yes, significantly. Posture is largely muscular and behavioural, which means it can be changed with:Mobility to open the front bodyStrength to support alignmentAwareness and repetition so the body adopts better habitsFitness Pilates is ideal because we train all three. Fitness Pilates Exercises for Posture 1) Chest opening & mobilityChest opener over block/ball/foam rollerThread the NeedleFloor or wall angelsDoorway pec stretch 2) Strengthening the upper back / scapular controlScapula setting and retractionProne swan prep / dartResistance band rowsY–T–W raisesReformer pulling straps (if equipment available) 3) Thoracic extension & alignmentCat–Cow with thoracic focusExtension over block or rollerSeated posture reset with breathworkStanding wall posture drills 4) Deep core & breathing re-education360 breathing to reduce neck tensionDead bug variationsBridge work with rib control Posture worsens because we stop moving well — not because we get old. Fitness Pilates can absolutely re-train the muscles and patterns that bring the body back into alignment Consider adding a Posture Enhancement section to your classes this week, or using “Posture” as the theme for your next newsletter or content block. Simple. Basic. Necessary. And extremely impactful.Hope this is helpful let me know what you think. Have a great Sunday Rachel x Questions whats app me 07976 268672 |
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