Can Pilates make you taller?

I recently had a health check up at my GPs and they asked to take a new measurement of my height to update the system. The last reading they had on record was from 2011 at 157cm/ 5’2” (nearly). Yes - I’m little!

The nurse was absolutely blown away to find my new measurement in 2022 is 159cm! Particularly as she was expecting me to have shrunk a small amount given that I’m in my mid 40s.

I was not surprised at all.

I already knew I had grown as I have been measuring myself at home. Living with very tall and competitive people means that these 2 centimetres, small though they are, are a huge win for me – at the very least it means my youngest will have to wait a little longer to be taller than me. My eldest is already 15cm taller than me!

So how do I know it is due to Pilates? Well - it is highly likely given my age, sex and my scoliosis, that I would have shrunk a small amount over the last ten years. The only thing that has materially changed in my lifestyle is my dedication to my Pilates practice - which stepped up in 2012 after the birth of my second child.

Of course, I haven’t actually grown. But Pilates has improved my posture, and my muscles are healthier, stronger and more flexible. And as part of my practice, I have learned more about my scoliosis and how best to hold and adjust my body.

I can’t guarantee an increase in height of 2cm, but as Pilates elongates your body, this in turn places less stress on the joints, particularly the spine, and can make you feel taller.

Many of my clients leave their sessions saying that they feel taller and straighter than when they arrived.

How much do you think you can “grow”? Join me and let’s find out…