Found yourself slouching at your desk? Rounded forward as you sit or walk, with your shoulders slumped and your body out of alignment?
You’re not alone. In one recent study, 70.5% of respondents reported musculoskeletal discomfort, with the neck (86.4%), lower back (75.9%), and shoulders (76.2%) all common culprits1. Poor posture is more common than ever – with long hours at work, endless phone scrolling, and daily stress all taking their toll. Over time, these habits affect not only how we look, but also how we feel: from tight shoulders and stiff backs to reduced confidence in how we carry ourselves.
So – how can Pilates help?
Pilates is one of the most effective ways to improve posture. By strengthening your core, enhancing body awareness, and encouraging correct alignment, Pilates for posture helps you feel more open, balanced, and energized.
Below, you’ll learn how Pilates improves posture, explore our top Pilates exercises for posture-building – and find out how you can get started with Vaura’s workouts.
How does Pilates improve posture?
Pilates improves posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine, increasing body awareness, and teaching you how to move in better alignment.
At its core, posture Pilates is built on principles that directly support good posture:
- Alignment – learning to stack the spine, ribs, and hips in balance.
- Core activation – engaging the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles that support the spine.
- Control – moving with precision instead of collapsing into bad habits.
- Breath – using Pilates breathing techniques to reduce tension and expand into the ribcage.
Together, these principles train your body to find and maintain its natural alignment – not just during a class, but throughout the rhythms and routines of daily life.
What common posture issues can Pilates help with?
Pilates can help you correct several common posture issues by building strength, flexibility, and awareness so you can carry yourself with more ease and confidence.
Read on for some of the most common postural issues, and how regular Pilates can support you to work through them.
Forward head posture (“tech neck”)
Spending hours looking down at devices can push the head forward and strain the neck and upper back in a condition commonly referred to as “tech neck”.
Posture Pilates helps by strengthening the muscles along the back of the neck and spine, helping you gently realign your head and lift into a more open, upright posture. If you’re seated at a desk most of the day, remember to take mobility breaks, stay consistent with your practice, and browse our tips for getting motivated to exercise – which can help you stick with it.
Rounded shoulders
Long days at a desk often leave the shoulders rolled forward and the chest tight. Pilates brings balance by opening through the chest and activating the muscles between the shoulder blades, encouraging you to stand taller and feel more energized. Sharing the journey can help, too – and exercising with a friend can boost accountability and make any Pilates posture workout more enjoyable.
Anterior pelvic tilt
When the pelvis tips forward, often due to tight hip flexors and underactive glutes, the lower back can feel strained. Pilates for posture corrects this imbalance by strengthening the glutes and deep core muscles, supporting a more neutral, comfortable pelvis. To see change, consistency is key – so learn how many times a week you should do Pilates to see the results you’re looking for.
Slouching
Slouching is often the result of low body awareness or fatigue, where the spine simply collapses forward. Pilates helps you tune into your alignment, so you notice when you’re rounding forward and can reset into a taller, more confident stance.
Top 5 Pilates exercises to improve posture
Ready to put principle into practice – and power up your posture with Pilates?
Below, we’ve put together our top five exercises to form your full Pilates posture workout. You can try these at home with a mat and a clear space, but – for the full experience – we recommend heading to your local Vaura studio and working out alongside like-minded people in your community. Here at Vaura, you won’t have to take a side in the reformer vs mat Pilates debate (we have both!) – and, with classes for prenatal and postpartum Pilates, there’s something for everyone.
1. Shoulder bridgE
The shoulder bridge strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and spinal stabilizers, helping you support the lower back and pelvis in neutral alignment.
Simply lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Press into your heels, exhale, and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Inhale at the top, then slowly roll back down, one vertebra at a time.
2. Chest opener
Hours at a desk can leave the chest tight and shoulders rounded forward. Chest openers are a must-have in any Pilates posture workout because they improve thoracic mobility, helping you sit with your chest proud and shoulders back.
You can practice a chest opener both on a mat or on a reformer.
- On a mat, lie with a rolled towel or small block between your shoulder blades: arms stretched wide, breathing into your chest.
- On the reformer, lie lengthwise with arms holding straps: opening arms out to the side with control before returning to center.
3. Swimming (or opposite arm/leg reach)
This exercise strengthens the posterior chain (Pilates terminology that refers to the muscles along your back), which is crucial for counteracting slouching.
To try it, lie on your stomach with your arms stretched forward. Lift your opposite arm and leg off the mat, hold for a breath, then switch sides. For a flowing version, flutter arms and legs in a small, controlled swim – keeping your core engaged throughout to tone your muscles and improve your balance. Failing to stay tapped in to your core muscles is one of the most common Pilates mistakes we see people make in Vaura classes – so take your time, and breathe through it!
4. Plank variations
One of the most recognizable Pilates exercises for posture, planks challenge the deep core and shoulder stabilizers that keep the spine supported in everyday life.
Place hands under shoulders and step into a plank, body in a straight line. Engage your core, glutes, and thighs. Modify by lowering to knees if needed. Try side planks for lateral strength and balance.
5. Wall roll-down
This simple Pilates posture move improves spinal articulation and awareness, helping you recognize when your posture begins to drift out of alignment.
Simply stand with your back against a wall, feet slightly forward. Inhale to prepare, exhale to roll your spine down the wall one vertebra at a time, letting your head and arms hang heavy. Inhale at the bottom, then slowly roll back up.
Now you’re up to speed with the role of Pilates for posture correction, explore how Pilates can transform the quality of your sleep next.
1 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9556879/