Gravity is a force to be reckoned with. It affects everything we do and allows us to perform our everyday tasks. Even when we stand, our bones and muscles are constantly adapting to the effect of gravitational force. The muscles that counteract the effect of gravity are collectively called our core and they need to be strong to maintain joint alignment and good posture. Our antigravity muscles develop as soon as we start to move. Think of how a newborn learns to roll, kneel, crawl and eventually walk. However, the more we stay still, the more our antigravity muscles lose strength, affecting posture, balance and increasing the risk of injury. Over the long term, we begin shrinking in our 30s. Men can gradually lose 2.5cm between the ages of 30 to 70, and women lose about 5cm. After the age of 80, it's possible for both men and women to lose another 2.5cm. We lose height because the intervertebral disks in our spine which stop the vertebrae from rubbing together retain less water over time and become compressed by the forces of gravity. What can we do? Well, we can’t do anything about gravity, but we can do a lot to counteract the effects that it has on our bodies. Joseph Pilates famously said that a long spine is a strong spine and when you look at the effects of gravity on our bodies, he wasn’t wrong. Pilates exercises are specifically designed to strengthen the core and lengthen the spine to keep us all standing tall.
