Getting to Know My Body
If I had to list the things I want to improve about my body, there are six:
- Anterior pelvic tilt
- A much weaker-than-average core
- Glutes (especially glute medius) that don’t activate well
- Very tight hamstrings
- Forward head posture
- Limited hip internal rotation (I can’t do Mermaid pose)
These six issues are not separate.
They are connected.
That doesn’t mean my body is “bad.”
I’ve run 10km marathons.
I was athletic in school.
I ran relay races.
My muscle mass is average.
I’m not weak.
I just have a specific structural pattern.
I Thought It Was Just My Body Type
Ever since I was little, I stood with my belly pushed forward.
Adults in my neighborhood even remember me that way.
“Oh, the kid who stood with her stomach sticking out.”
At the time, I didn’t know it was a structural issue.
I barely engaged my core when standing.
My lower back was excessively arched.
Of course my stomach looked like it was pushed out.
I simply thought,
“Maybe this is just my body type.”
I assumed it was genetic.
My father stands the same way.
When we lie down, both of us naturally lift our legs.
I never questioned it. It just felt comfortable.
But later I realized why.
When I lie flat, my lower back feels uncomfortable.
Lifting my legs presses my lower back into the floor and makes it feel stable.
I had been compensating without knowing it.
Because I’ve lived like this my whole life,
I didn’t recognize that it wasn’t neutral.
Just Because It Doesn’t Hurt Yet
When I started Pilates,
an instructor seriously asked me if my lower back hurt.
That was the first time I considered
that my lower back might be taking too much load.
So far, I haven’t had major pain.
But just because it hasn’t hurt yet
doesn’t mean it won’t.
That realization changed something for me.
The Easy Way vs. The Right Way
If you asked me what I want to work on first,
I’d say hamstring stretching.
It’s the easiest.
You feel it immediately.
But the fastest way forward is probably not the easiest one.
It’s my core.
I can only hold a plank for 10 seconds.
So I searched for the simplest core exercise to start with.
The answer was: dead bugs.
It looks simple.
Lying on your back, slowly moving opposite arm and leg.
But for me, it’s not easy at all.
Still, I’m not trying to start big.
I want to start small enough to be consistent.
Before becoming more flexible,
I need to become more stable.
If you have a similar body pattern,
maybe start with dead bugs too.
I’m starting now.
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