The science-backed workout that makes you taller
Pilates, which has soared in popularity in recent years, is said to increase people's height due to its posture-improving benefits.
Through pilates, strengthening and lengthening the core and spinal muscles can help you stand straighter, reduce slouching or spinal compression, and potentially add centimetres in height by promoting better alignment.
Scientific studies have shown that pilates enhances postural alignment by increasing head and spine angles and decreasing thoracic kyphosis (the 'hunchback' appearance) and lumbar lordosis (the curve in the lower back).
This improved alignment supports a taller, straighter look, creating the illusion of added height.
One study found that this exercise style could increase height by up to 2.7 cm, especially after 10 weeks of pilates mat training.
The researchers noted that this gain reflects better postural alignment, not real bone growth.
Another controlled trial reported a significant height increase in a pilates group of middle-aged women, attributed to improved posture.
Simon Ngo, Director of Pilates & Yoga at Flow Athletic, said that this effect is more about 'regaining our height' than actually growing taller.
'Due to gravity and us holding ourselves upright, over time the spine gets compressed and congested. Movements in all planes and directions, which are typically part of a pilates class, help decompress the spine and let us feel longer and taller,' he told news.com.au.
He mentioned he personally feels more 'lengthened' after pilates due to certain movements he includes in his classes.
'Spinal flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation help the most,' he explained.
'In other words, any movements that involve bending forward, back, side to side, or twisting will help, with back bending being the most effective in countering the effects of prolonged sitting in today's lifestyle.'
He mentioned that visible posture improvements won't happen overnight, but with consistent effort, 'perhaps 30 sessions or more' you might notice some changes.
Chloe Atkinson, 25, told news.com.au that she has noticed an increase in height since starting pilates at age 17.
'I'm hypermobile, and the body awareness pilates gave me helped me stand properly with less pressure on my knees, which made me seem taller,' she said.
'I'm about 5'8' and a half. Before pilates, I measured consistently at 5'7'. I also started strength training at 21, which helped my posture too.'
Emma Maslen, 49, realised she was getting shorter over the years because of poor posture.
Since beginning pilates three months ago and practising five to six days a week leading up to her wedding, she now 'finally' has good posture, reduced her 'hunchback,' and appears taller.
'I would estimate I gained a few centimetres, back to my original height,' she revealed.
Deepak Shukla, 35, said that after sticking with pilates, he went from being a 'slouched office worker' to a 'confident six-footer'.
'Sure, the height might be due to better posture, but it feels real when I walk around feeling like I'm owning the room!' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘World first' Virgin Active wellness gym lands in Bondi
Welcome to You Got This, weekly fitness series featuring stories and ideas from real women who've experienced it all. One of Australia's most boujee gym chains has just taken things a step further, with the opening of its first ever global wellness club. Virgin Active Bondi Westfield opened its doors on Monday, marking a new era of wellness, with the club being the first of its type from the brand. About the club The facility boasts high-end machinery, as well as a cafe that serves wraps, salads, pancakes, smoothies and juices made to order. There are spaces to work on your laptop, before heading into the cardio and weights room. One of the biggest drawcards to the facility is its recovery zones, which includes a hydrotherapy spa, cold plunge, heated recovery slab, Finnish sauna and an infra-red sauna. Another zone features compression boots and trigger point therapy tools. Health services include massage therapy, physiotherapy and personal training. But, the big winner for me was the fact the gym offers tower pilates — not something that is widely offered in Sydney. It has five different types of reformer tower classes — align, foundation, athletic, recovery and reformer mat. Other classes on offer are the lunch time Lift Club and Run Club. The gym's Run Club sees members meet at the facility, warm up together and then run three, five or seven kilometres alongside some of Bondi's best routes. The class is open to all abilities. Members of Virgin Active Bondi Westfield are also welcome to visit other clubs to take part in Cycle, Boxing, HIIT, Yoga and other classes. 'We're thrilled to officially open our doors and welcome Sydneysiders into a new era of wellness,' said Dean Kowarski, CEO of Virgin Active. 'This is not just a gym – it's a destination where people can work out, unwind, refuel, work, connect with others, and take care of their full wellbeing in a truly beautiful and uplifting space.' Road test I was lucky enough to be invited to a media event at the club, offered to trial the gym's facilities — including a class. If you've paid any attention to this column, you'll know how much I love my reformer pilates so it was of to Tower I went. It's a style of pilates I've only done a handful of times. Walking into the space, there were a fair amount of reformer beds, meaning it was a bit of a bigger class. However you were a smidge closer to the person next to you. The beds and towers were all new, and super easy to use. It's always awkward when you're scrambling to figure out the spring system if it's a machine you're unfamiliar with. The class was fabulous — there were challenges but parts that make you feel good about yourself. It was probably one of my favourite classes I have done in the name of this column. I don't always feel the best when I step into the gym — I feel like I don't look like a person that can handle the gym. I can never run as fast or kick my leg as high. But, the instructor was so beyond kind and welcoming to every single person there — including myself. It just made the whole experience that much better. She remembered everyone's names, after only meeting them for a moment, and was super encouraging. There was no shame around needing to take a break or needing to find an alternative moment if you were struggling. I feel like that is still relatively rare in the fitness industry, and so this automatically made it a positive visit for me. I didn't get a chance to try out the recovery zones, just because of timings, but the entire facility was beautiful, calm and peaceful. I couldn't fault a single thing and it's definitely a space I'd like to come back to. What's the price tag? There are two memberships on offer — a one-month member ship or a 12-month membership. Both cost $99 a week. There is a casual visit option available, that will set you back $75 and can just be organised through the front desk. Only Virgin Active Bondi Westfield members have access to the club, with members from other clubs needing to upgrade their membership to attend. However Virgin Active Bondi Westfield members can attend other clubs.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
You don't need to walk 10,000 steps to benefit from its ‘health benefits'
Ten thousand steps per day has been widely recommended as the standard benchmark for physical activity — but a new study suggests that just 7000 could be enough to boost essential health markers. Researchers from the University of Sydney conducted a review of 57 studies spanning more than 10 countries, which tracked participants' steps and health outcomes. Led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the team looked at how different daily step counts impacted the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer, as well as the risk of developing cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression, according to a university press release. And it turns out, you may not need as many steps as was first thought. Researchers found that walking at least 7000 steps a day was linked to improvement in eight major health outcomes, including heart disease, dementia and depressive symptoms. 'Any increase in daily steps, even modest ones like 4000 steps, delivers health benefits compared to very low activity levels,' Ding told Fox News. 'When possible, targeting around 7000 steps per day can substantially reduce risks for many chronic diseases and adverse health outcomes. 'Even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain.' Higher step counts beyond 7000 may add extra benefits, but the improvement rate slows, she noted. The results were published in The Lancet Public Health journal. In particular, the researchers found that walking 7000 steps a day reduced the risk of death by 47 per cent, almost exactly the same as 10000 steps. That same step benchmark was also linked to a 38 per cent reduced risk of dementia and a 22 per cent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, both only slightly lower than the benefit of 10,000 steps, the release stated. 'Significant health improvements' were reported when people increased from 2000 steps per day to anywhere between 5000 and 7000. 'Aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn't been looked at before,' said Professor Ding in the release. 'However, for those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts, such as increasing from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gain.' For those who are already very active and consistently hitting 10,000+ steps, Ding said, 'keep it up — there's no need to cut back'. The researchers also noted that stepping doesn't need to happen all at once or require intentional exercise. 'Everyday movements count — like getting off the bus a stop earlier or choosing stairs over elevators,' Ding advised. 'Small, incidental bouts throughout the day add up and contribute to health. Embrace opportunities to move more in practical, enjoyable ways.' There were some limitations in the study, the researchers noted. 'For some outcomes, we have a small number of studies,' Ding told Fox News. There are also some study-level biases, she said. 'For example, people who are already unwell will take fewer steps because of their health conditions,' Ding said. 'And while there is an indication that the dose-response may be different for older adults, we didn't have enough data for all outcomes to explore it.' It's also important to note that while walking offers great health benefits, it is not a complete 'package' in itself, she noted. 'Everyday movements count — like getting off the bus a stop earlier or choosing stairs over elevators,' Ding said. 'Try to also incorporate strength training and mobility exercise into a weekly routine for more complete health benefits.' In next steps, the researchers plan to use these findings to shape future physical activity guidelines.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
The science-backed workout that makes you taller
A trendy workout has been praised not only for improving fitness and flexibility but also for its potential to make you look taller. Pilates, which has soared in popularity in recent years, is said to increase people's height due to its posture-improving benefits. Through pilates, strengthening and lengthening the core and spinal muscles can help you stand straighter, reduce slouching or spinal compression, and potentially add centimetres in height by promoting better alignment. Scientific studies have shown that pilates enhances postural alignment by increasing head and spine angles and decreasing thoracic kyphosis (the 'hunchback' appearance) and lumbar lordosis (the curve in the lower back). This improved alignment supports a taller, straighter look, creating the illusion of added height. One study found that this exercise style could increase height by up to 2.7 cm, especially after 10 weeks of pilates mat training. The researchers noted that this gain reflects better postural alignment, not real bone growth. Another controlled trial reported a significant height increase in a pilates group of middle-aged women, attributed to improved posture. Simon Ngo, Director of Pilates & Yoga at Flow Athletic, said that this effect is more about 'regaining our height' than actually growing taller. 'Due to gravity and us holding ourselves upright, over time the spine gets compressed and congested. Movements in all planes and directions, which are typically part of a pilates class, help decompress the spine and let us feel longer and taller,' he told He mentioned he personally feels more 'lengthened' after pilates due to certain movements he includes in his classes. 'Spinal flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation help the most,' he explained. 'In other words, any movements that involve bending forward, back, side to side, or twisting will help, with back bending being the most effective in countering the effects of prolonged sitting in today's lifestyle.' He mentioned that visible posture improvements won't happen overnight, but with consistent effort, 'perhaps 30 sessions or more' you might notice some changes. Chloe Atkinson, 25, told that she has noticed an increase in height since starting pilates at age 17. 'I'm hypermobile, and the body awareness pilates gave me helped me stand properly with less pressure on my knees, which made me seem taller,' she said. 'I'm about 5'8' and a half. Before pilates, I measured consistently at 5'7'. I also started strength training at 21, which helped my posture too.' Emma Maslen, 49, realised she was getting shorter over the years because of poor posture. Since beginning pilates three months ago and practising five to six days a week leading up to her wedding, she now 'finally' has good posture, reduced her 'hunchback,' and appears taller. 'I would estimate I gained a few centimetres, back to my original height,' she revealed. Deepak Shukla, 35, said that after sticking with pilates, he went from being a 'slouched office worker' to a 'confident six-footer'. 'Sure, the height might be due to better posture, but it feels real when I walk around feeling like I'm owning the room!' he said.
