Muscle imbalances can be improved with Pilates

The most common muscle imbalances are due to our sedentary lifestyles. It’s pretty easy to see which muscles are tight or short when you sit for long periods of time throughout the day. When a muscle is shortened for a long period of time it will become “tight” which really means it is shorter than it is meant to be. Muscles imbalances can be improved with Pilates. We’ll learn how.

Muscles come in opposing pairs (e.g. biceps and triceps). When a muscle is shorter than its optimal length not only does it affect the opposing muscle but also the entire musculoskeletal system; tight hip flexors are a major cause of many posture problems. The human body is meant to be upright. So sitting for long hours the hip flexors become shortened. This causes the pelvis to be rotated anteriorly, refer to image below. The result of this is that the lumbar spine (lower spine) becomes hyperextended (excessively arched) and the thoracic spine (upper-mid spine) develops a kyphotic alignment (rounded/hunched back). Forward head posture can also result because of this. After a while, tight hip flexors can do the work of the abdominals making it almost impossible to get the benefits out of some abdominal exercises. The opposing muscles to the hip flexors are the gluteus maximus.

Tight hip flexors are the primary reason the glutes become lengthened and weak. The glutes are the primary muscles that extend the hip (pull your leg back). However, when the primary muscle that performs a movement becomes weak the synergist (helper) muscle has to take over and this causes further problems.

How can Pilates help tight hip flexors?

Through Pilates exercises the hip flexors can be stretched and the gluteus maximus strengthened.

There are many mat exercises that can help strengthen the gluteus maximus and stretch out the hip flexors. Over time this will help tilt the pelvis in a more neutral position. Posture and striving for improved posture is a large part of Pilates. Strengthening the upper-mid back muscles will help reduce the rounded/hunched back appearance. Many upper mid back strengthening exercises can be performed on the reformer. Learning to and practicing to stabilize the shoulder girdle and scapula (shoulder blades) will also activate and help strengthen the muscles in the upper-mid back region. These are just a few ways Pilates can help with tight hip flexors and the resulting postural problems.

Tight hamstrings are also common when sitting for long periods of time. If the hip flexors are tight, the gluteus maximus will be weakened, as mentioned above, which means the hamstrings are the primary hip extensor. The hamstrings are supposed to act as a synergist (helper) to the gluteus maximus when extending the hip. However, in the case of tight hip flexors, the hamstrings are the primary mover. This is classic synergist dominance which increases the chances of injury. The gluteus maximus is a large muscle in the body. If it cannot extend the hip and the hamstrings, a much smaller muscle, is forced to do this job requiring more work than it is designed for, injury is likely to occur. Tight hamstrings can make it difficult to benefit from leg and glute exercises. You will also be prone to pulled hamstrings and sciatica.

How can Pilates help tight hamstrings?

The hamstrings require stretching and lengthening when they are tight. Strengthening the hip flexors so that the hamstrings no longer have to work harder than they are designed for will also help prevent increased tightness. The reformer is a great piece of equipment for this purpose.

Exercises on the reformer with the feet in the straps will provide a number of exercises that will both strengthen the hip flexors and lengthen the hamstrings.

Weak and lengthened upper middle back is also quite common giving that rounded, forward shoulder or hunched back appearance. This is also called upper cross syndrome. This forward shoulder posture is prevalent in a sedentary lifestyle especially for those with jobs sitting in front of a computer or at a desk for long periods of  time. Poorly chosen exercises can also cause this forward shoulder posture. Doing too many push ups or exercises that work the front of the body and doing too little or neglecting the back can result in imbalances. What is really going on here is that the scapulae (shoulder blades) are protracted (pulled forward) because the chest muscles (pectorals and anterior deltoids) are stronger and thus tighter while the middle upper back muscles (lower and middle trapezius and rhomboids) are weaker and lengthened.

How can Pilates help weak and lengthened upper middle back?

As we have mentioned before, if something is lengthened, we strengthen it.

Exercises on the reformer that strengthen the upper mid back are great. Back extensions on the mat. Making a conscious effort to open up across the collar bone in the front and slowly retracting the scapula (shoulder blades). Making a conscious effort throughout the day to carry yourself with your sternum (chest) up, maintain width across your collar bone and muscles in the upper-mid back engaged to retract the scapula (shoulder blades) retracted will help strengthen the upper middle back.

Muscle Imbalances in the Sexes

Are there some muscle imbalances that are more prevalent in men than women and vice versa?  Many of the muscle imbalances develop because of common daily postures.  Since men and women, for the most part, have some different ways of carrying or holding themselves, certain postural problems are more common in one sex than the other.  That doesn’t mean that the muscle imbalances stated below are exclusively seen in one gender or the other.  We’ll look at three common muscle imbalances and associated posture problems occurring in either sex.

Tight Piriformis

 The piriformis is a deep muscle which is the large external rotator of the hip (muscle that allows the hip to rotate outwards).  A tight piriformis is more common in men than women because men tend to sit with their legs spread apart.  A tight piriformis can lead to problems in the knees and piriformis syndrome.  What is Piriformis syndrome?  This is when the piriformis irritates the sciatic nerve and causes a deep shooting pain from the buttocks down the back of the leg, also known as sciatica.

Tight Adductor

Adductors are the muscles that allow you to pull your leg inwards or squeeze your legs together. The adductor group is made up of three muscles, adductor brevis, adductor longus and adductor magnus.  

Most women often sit with their legs crossed.  Over time the adductor muscles become tight especially in the bottom of a squat in which the hips are almost fully flexed.  Tight adductors can cause the femur (thigh bone) to become internally rotated.   Tight adductors can result in a knock kneed appearance.   It can result in the joints of the knees to line up improperly leading to kneecap pain.

Tight Calves

Women who wear high heels often are very prone to tight lower leg muscles including gastrocnemius, soleus and peroneals (calve muscles).  Tightness in the calves can be seen through flattened feet and externally rotated feet (supinated feet).  It can also be a leading cause of plantar fasciitis, refer to article in this issue on plantar fasciitis. 

How Pilates can help?

There are many exercises in Pilates that can help stretch out the tight areas.   In particular, the piriformis, adductors and calves.   Exercises on both the mat and the reformer can be done to help stretch these areas out.