So today was my pilates evaluation. Basically what that means is the I spent an hour one on one with an instructor (Laurie) and she had me bend, twist and turn in all different directions to check my form, posture, strength etc. At the end of the evaluation I learned two really interesting and helpful things. First, I tend to arch my low back and stick my butt out. Laurie showed me how to “tuck” to fix that. Immediately I felt my lowers abs (one of my problem areas) engage and when I looked in the mirror, I swear I looked 5 lbs thinner when I was using proper posture and “tucking”. The second thing I learned was that I walk and stand in what’s called a turn out or with my feet in sort of a “v” shape. I’ve always known I walk this way but never knew that there was anything I could do about it. Apparently, it is the result of weak inner thigh muscles (another huge problem area). Laurie showed me again how to properly align myself and again I felt my muscles engage immediately. (Side note- as the daughter of a chiropractor I should definitely know better. My dad is probably reading this right now shaking his head saying “this is what I’ve been trying to tell you for 30 years Niki” Sorry dad) So armed with my new knowledge and an awareness that I apparently walk and stand like a duck, I am now determined to implement my new proper posture into everyday activities. I’ve tried to make a conscious effort to correct myself when I catch myself in duck walk and am hopeful that it will become second nature very soon.
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