Let me ask you something… can you stand with both feet on the ground and keep equal weight on both legs? Sounds simple, maybe even a little boring, but stay with me.
Over the years, both working with clients and in my own body, I dealt with a nagging discomfort in my right lower back. Nothing terrible, just a constant little ache that would come and go depending on what I did. Do you know that feeling? When something is just off… and everyone seems to have the answer?
Turn on the TV, scroll social media, listen to conversations – there’s always one product, one exercise, one expert promising to fix everything. And while there is value in seeking help, I also know this: you live in your body 24/7. You know it better than anyone else.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Outside help can be incredibly valuable. But sometimes the very thing holding you back from feeling better is happening in your everyday movements. Not in your workout, not in your hour at the studio, but in how you stand, how you shift, and how you carry yourself throughout the day.
A long time ago, a fellow Pilates instructor told me to “be boring.” I remember thinking, ” What does that even mean? Well, it turns out I had a habit of standing with one hip shifted out to the side – you know, just a little personality in my stance. There’s nothing wrong with that… unless it’s what you do all the time. When those small habits are repeated over and over again, they begin to shape your body and can create an imbalance. For me, that subtle shift was feeding into that nagging right-sided back discomfort.
In Romana’s Pilates, we teach something called the Box. Your shoulders and hips form a square – a frame that helps organize your body in space. It’s simple, but not easy. Your alignment matters, and the body works best when it is organized and supported from within.
So, how do you find this “boring” stance? Let’s give it a try.
Stand up with your feet parallel and about hip-width apart, and let your arms hang naturally from your shoulders. Take a few breaths, then begin to gently lift your inner thighs – not gripping, just a subtle lift – while relaxing where you don’t need tension and finding your powerhouse. Open your collarbones and lift your eyes. Now start to explore your weight by shifting slightly to the right and then to the left, and then find a place somewhere in the middle. Next, shift your weight forward and back and settle just slightly forward until you feel the back of your thighs “catch you” and hold you up. Stay there, keeping the weight even and trying not to shift side to side. This is your “boring” stance. It may look boring, but there is a lot of muscular intelligence happening internally, as my mentor Cynthia Shipley of Lifespan Pilates says.
Now let’s take this into a sitting position. Sit with both feet flat on the floor and try your best not to cross your legs at the knee, as this can take your hips out of alignment. This is not to say you can never do it, but if you start paying attention, you may notice that you tend to cross the same leg over and over again. Take note over the next few days and see for yourself. And to all the men sitting with a wallet in their back pocket – that’s throwing you off too (and yes, it may even be affecting your golf game).
The body loves balance, but when we repeatedly do things one-sided, it eventually catches up with us.
So that’s it – be a little boring and see how long you can hold this “boring” stance. It’s not easy. This all comes back to awareness. You are beginning to notice what your body does, and the best part is, once you’re aware of it, you can change it.
If this made you notice something in your own body, imagine what a few focused sessions could do. If you’re curious where to begin, my introductory package of three private sessions is designed to help you understand your body, your patterns, and how to start moving with more balance and support. Just reach out – I’d love to help you get started.
