Stand Taller, Feel Stronger! Top Pilates Moves to Improve Posture
From endless scrolling on the couch to long commutes in the car, good posture often takes a backseat. Slouching and poor alignment can lead to aches, pains, and even long-term issues. However, The Good Space wants to help!
As your go-to Pilates sanctuary, we know the power of movement when it comes to improving posture. With consistent practice, Pilates can help strengthen the muscles that support your spine, realign your body, and have you standing taller with confidence.
Here are some of our favorite Pilates moves to help improve posture and restore balance to your body in no time!
The Downsides of Bad Posture
Ever feel tightness in your neck, back, or lower spine after a long day at your desk? That’s your body protesting poor posture. Hunchback posture can cause muscle imbalances, straining the neck, back and even the fascia that supports your spine. Research has shown that severe rounding of the upper back increases the load on trunk muscles, accelerating spinal degeneration and making daily movements more uncomfortable. If you’ve ever suffered from nagging neck pain, lower back soreness or tension headaches, your posture may be to blame.
Poor posture isn’t just about how you look—it can impact how you breathe. A rounded upper back compresses the ribs, restricting lung expansion and making it harder for your body to get the oxygen it needs. This can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness, and even heart palpitations.
Your posture can even affect your digestion. A hunched position compresses the stomach, making it more difficult for food to pass through the digestive tract. This can lead to bloating, indigestion, and acid reflux.
However, you don’t have to live in discomfort. The Good Space wants to help! Read on to explore the top Pilates moves that can help negate poor posture and keep you on the right track.
1. Chest Opener Stretch
If you spend a lot of time hunched over a desk or looking at a screen, your chest muscles may be tight, causing rounded shoulders. This simple yet effective stretch can counteract that forward slump.
How to Do It:
Stand or kneel with your hands interlaced behind your back.
Gently pull your hands away from your lower back and lift your chest.
Hold for 20–30 seconds, breathing deeply.
Repeat 2–3 times.
2. Spinal Articulation (Pelvic Curl)
A strong, mobile spine is key to good posture. The Pelvic Curl helps strengthen your core and lengthen your spine.
How to Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you slowly lift your hips, articulating through your spine one vertebra at a time.
Hold at the top, then slowly lower back down.
Repeat 8–10 times.
3. Scapular Retraction (Shoulder Blade Squeeze)
Strengthening the upper back muscles prevents the shoulders from rounding forward, helping to maintain an open chest and upright posture.
How to Do It:
Sit or stand tall with your arms relaxed by your sides.
Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping your shoulders down.
Hold for a few seconds, then release.
Repeat 10–12 times.
4. Swan Dive Prep
This move strengthens the entire back body, counteracting forward rounding and promoting spinal extension.
How to Do It:
Lie on your stomach with your legs extended and hands under your shoulders.
Inhale as you lift your chest and upper back slightly off the floor.
Keep your gaze slightly forward to avoid straining your neck.
Exhale as you lower back down with control.
Repeat 8–10 times.
5. Wall Angels
Wall Angels improve shoulder mobility and help train your body to maintain good posture.
How to Do It:
Stand with your back against a wall, feet a few inches away.
Press your lower back, shoulders, and head into the wall.
Raise your arms to a goalpost position and slowly move them up and down like making a snow angel.
Perform 10 repetitions.
6. The Standing Roll Down
This classic Pilates exercise promotes spinal flexibility and awareness while gently lengthening the back of the body.
How to Do It:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you slowly roll down, vertebra by vertebra, letting your head hang heavy.
Inhale at the bottom, then exhale as you slowly roll back up to standing.
Repeat 3–5 times.
Stand Tall at The Good Space
At The Good Space, we believe that improved posture is the foundation of a strong, pain-free body. Whether you’re dealing with daily aches or just want to move through life with better alignment, starting your Pilates journey is a game-changer. Visit our studio near Houston, TX, and let us help you build strength, flexibility, and confidence—one movement at a time!
Ready to stand taller and feel stronger? Book a class with us today.
Located in Houston, Texas, we invite you to The Good Space studio. Here you’ll find highly trained instructors as well as the best Pilates equipment available—all in a private studio environment. We offer private and semi-private sessions, small group classes limited to 7 students, and a wide variety of classical and contemporary classes. When we stand in alignment both inside and outside our bodies, our mood and breathing changes. Our posture improves and corrects through daily practice. We are energized and empowered. We experience Pilates as an effervescent joyfulness that changes how we show up for our life, our faith, our families, and ourselves. As we focus inward, we change the outward - our appearance and attitude impact our world.
Have questions or want to learn more? Feel free to “contact us”. Ready to bring your mind and body into alignment? Try our intro offer here.
