The normal aging process takes a toll on height. The disks that separate and cushion the vertebrae lose hydration and elasticity after the age of 25. The disks begin to shrink, and up to an inch of height may be lost. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, any height loss greater than an inch signals vertebral bone degeneration.
Lifestyle factors can drag you down, too. For those who spend too much time hunched at the computer, the trapezius and latissimus (back muscles) become stretched and weak. Shoulders and pectorals (muscles surrounding the chest) become tight. Even the neck loses mobility.
Pilates, which has found a huge new audience in the past several years, has cultivated a reputation for being able to create longer, leaner muscles . . . and to increase height.
|
|
To correct these effects, Pilates exercises extend the chest. The front of the body is opened and stretched, while the muscles along the back are strengthened. The crown of the head is extended upward, lengthening the back of the neck. Over time, these moves lead to more erect posture -- and a taller look.
One Pilates move recommended to correct slump is the "breast stroke prep," a foundation for the full "breast stroke" move. The exercise is done with the belly down to the mat. With arms bent so that the hands rest just above the shoulders, the head and chest are extended off the mat. Arms may also reach upward while head and chest are lifted. (A similar movement, known as the cobra, is used in yoga.)
The move "targets the muscles of the neck, upper and middle back to extend the upper body," said Merrithew.
"Scapular isolations" are intended to combat rounded, slumping shoulders. In a seated position, arms reach forward, and the shoulder blades alternate between spreading apart and sliding together. Merrithew says that the exercise helps shoulders find a happy medium between being clinched back and slumped forward.
The quintessential Pilates exercise is the "hundred," which aims at strengthening the abdominals. Starting on the back, knees are pulled into the chest. The legs are then straightened so they are perpendicular to the floor. The head and upper back are lifted off the mat. Straightened arms lift several inches off the floor. Arms are parallel to the floor, hovering 2 inches above it and are pulsed up and down for five inhalations and five exhalations. Pulses are repeated 10 times to equal 100.
Pilates movements are continuous and emphasize abdominal and back strength; yoga commonly focuses on held poses. Core strength is needed, and developed, in both types of exercise.
Yoga instructor Keith Moore doesn't see much of a difference between the two disciplines. Moore teaches Ashtanga, a rigorous form of yoga, at the Ashtanga Yoga Center in Tenleytown.
"I'm of the opinion that Pilates and yoga are equally beneficial for the spine," he said. "Height is regained by focusing on core strength and by gaining flexibility. The strength and flexibility must be equal partners."
