We talk about posture all the time here at LightSpace, and to educate our clients and blog readers in 2018 we plan to spotlight the classic postural types. Today we’re taking a closer look at an extremely common posture: Kyphosis-Lordosis.

Next time you’re in the studio when instructor Allison Ward is teaching, take a second to look at her alignment and ask her to demonstrate this posture for you. Don’t worry….she is happy to show you! Allison is a classic Kyphosis Hyper-Lordosis. Over the years (almost 10 years now practicing Pilates!) she has really worked hard to find more balance in her posture, so that she looks more like the skeleton on the left rather than the right. Though it’s important to note that during times of stress and fatigue, EVERYONE falls back into their natural posture patterns. We as humans are not perfect all the time! So that’s why it’s a good idea to keep up with your Pilates and QI-LATES practices so that you can easily find balance again in your physical body and energy body when this occurs.

Let’s take a closer look at look at the image. What do these notes mean…? To simplify, the natural curves of the spine, in the lower back and neck, are extra curvy. The knees are hyper-extended and locked. The ankles are stuck in more of a pointed position (plantar flexed – kind of like the high heel or ballet pointe shoe position). Basically, this posture lives more IN FRONT of the plumb line (that vertical line dividing each skeleton), instead of balanced equally in front and in back of the line. Allison spent many many years performing in high-heeled tap shoes, so it’s not surprising that she has had so many issues and injuries to fix related to this posture! High heels send the ankles, legs, and pelvis forward (in front of that plumb line), so among other things, the lower back is forced to compensate for this destabilization by increasing it’s arch. That’s so you can still walk without falling on your face.

Tune in next time for a few pics of Allison doing some of the best Pilates and QI-LATES exercises that she’s found helpful in combatting her Kyphosis Hyper-Lordosis.