I had a question via email over the weekend where another Personal Trainer had a client who told him that Pilates would make her muscles longer.  She was worried to continue with her resistance training because she did not want her muscles to make her muscles shorter.  I have heard variations of this question over the 15+ years I have been in the fitness business.  Some will say that Pilates gives them long muscles like a dancer or ballerina.  I think people are probably just using the wrong words to describe what they want, so I am going to try and clear it up.

Chronic stretching is what makes your muscles longer or shorter.  If I sit at a desk all day with my shoulders rounded forward and thoracic spine hunched over – then it does not matter whether I weight train or not – I am going to have short tight pecs and miserable posture.

Can an individual make an effort to pay conscious attention to their posture and lengthen those muscles out again to achieve excellent posture with consistent practice?  Absolutely!  Can Pilates increase postural awareness – yes indeed!  Could an athlete strength train with weights and maintain proper posture thoughout the day and have the same type of tall posture?  Yes. 

Your body will adapt to the positions you put it in the most often.  If you sit with crappy posture you are going to have short tight muscles on the front side of your body and lengthened muscles along the back side of your body.  The end result – crappy posture, maybe back, hip, shoulder or knee pain.

So the key is awareness!  If you enjoy Pilates and the way it makes you feel – then go for it.  If you enjoy resistance training – then go for it.  If you want to get that feeling of a longer waist, then do this…imagine that there is a huge magnet right over your head and now imagine that you have a big metal plate in your head (maybe some of you do).  Now imagine that the magnet is pulling your head up ward – you just sat up tall in your chair didn’t you?  Now sit up tall like that and notice that your abs are slightly engaged – like magic.  Now remind yourself to do this every time you get on your email or you stop at a red light or you talk on your cell phone.  Work on this consistently for not only that lengthened feeling, but also to reduce the wear and tear on  your body. 

You wouldn’t drive around for 10 years with your car alignment out – why would you walk around with terrible posture?

Cheers,
Maria