The Importance of the Proper Form and Posture during Exercise

Why Is Proper Form Important?

The two main reasons why proper form is essential are:

• It elevates your overall performance level

• It lowers the possibility of injury and pain

We are told to be careful in our posture even when carrying out everyday tasks. And it is even more critical during to training and exercise. When people hit a plateau, they confuse it with their routine, hit the gym more and start investing in personal training. While all these elements are helpful, you also need a perfect posture, range of motion and mobility.

In simple terms, mobility means the capability of moving your body quickly. It’s only possible when you have the right strength, motion, and stamina; you need to know the technique.

The main objectives while training should be structure, stability, and balance, all correlated to correct form. Injuries are inevitable if an exercise is performed incorrectly. Hence, it’s pivotal always to maintain a proper thoracic extension, firm cervical stabilization and an appropriate length and tension relationship in glutes, hamstrings and the hips.

To correctly perform the exercise, you need to remember that form is the real deal. You can keep lifting heavy weights, but if your form, posture and balance are incorrect, it’s futile because quality over quantity applies here as well.

Let’s explain this by using an example of cycling. If your seat isn’t adequately elevated when riding a bicycle, and you're hunched over in a destructive form, your body is going to have low lung capacity. The muscles won’t receive the needed nutrients to perform at their full level, and hence, you will feel tired very quickly.

Various researches and studies show that a person should fully utilize their mobility and motion during exercise to elevate the potential strength capacity. Moreover, another study showed that proper mobility allows higher performance, decreases fat, helps muscle size, improves strength, and shows quicker results.

Advantages of Focusing on Right Form and Posture During Exercise

The benefits of the right form and posture are endless because we believe that it is the foundation, the crux of any exercise. Let’s find out some of the most important ones.

1. Reduces the Chances of Injury: Implementing good mechanics and a proper form allows you to distribute the pressure evenly, so a particular tendon, muscle or ligament that could’ve caused a strain or sprain faces no undue pressure.

2. Improves Efficiency: The goal should be to work smart and not hard. Proper form helps you increase your exercise duration as you don’t overexert your body and perform in a properly balanced manner.

3. Quicker Results: Improper forms tend to target unintended muscle groups that can cause strain and in extreme cases, even a severe injury. A proper form brings better results and allows you to jump higher, lift more, run faster, and workout longer.

4. Increases the Oxygen Flow: When you exercise in the right form and posture, you breathe in a balanced fashion, which means more oxygen intake. When more oxygen enters your body, you feel more pumped, energetic and refreshed.

The Take-Away

What better way to learn about the right form and posture than Pilates?

Pilates is all about paying attention to the posture, achieving the right form and maintaining balanced breathing! Its main aim is to increase the body's overall mobility and motion.

Experience the world of Pilates at the very best with Bodhi Pilates! Our Pilates experts will give you undivided attention to ensure correct form and posture, and you will see clear results after just the first few sessions. We promise you it will be a decision you’ll never regret.

Sign-up for classes today, check out our rates or get more information on Pilates by booking an appointment.