In the studio, we often meet clients who come in feeling tight in the neck, stiff in the back, or constantly battling shoulder pain.
These are the ones who go for massages often to help combat the stiffness. We know, we have a studio at Chinatown and we see a lot of you come for massages and ask for the strongest pressure to help alleviate your tightness.
But here’s what most people don’t realise:
Massages may help in the short term, but without addressing the root cause, they will only deepen existing imbalances in the long run if you don’t fix what’s broken.
The hidden link between poor breathing, posture and pain
Many of our students come from highly stressful jobs. Long hours at desks, zoom meetings, never-ending deadlines. Sometimes, even long hours of travel. Over time, these add up.
What we often see is that
- Breathing is shallow, mostly into the chest or shoulders
- Ribs are stiff and no longer expand well
- Posture is collapsed, with the chest sunken and upper back rounded
- Neck and shoulder muscles overwork with every breath
- The deep core is disconnected and not supporting the spine
- The nervous system is in overdrive, constantly on high alert
Put simply: when you breathe poorly, your movement suffers.
And when your movement suffers, your body starts to compensate in ways that lead to pain.
Shallow breathing = shoulder and neck tension
When we don’t use the diaphragm properly to breathe, the upper chest and accessory muscles like the scalenes, upper traps, and sternocleidomastoids (SCM muscles) take over.
These muscles aren’t designed to work with every breath. But for someone under chronic stress, breathing this way becomes the norm.
Their neck and shoulders start to ache – mainly because they’re being recruited for a job they were never meant to do.
Breathing and back pain
Why do we focus so much on how you breathe in Pilates? Because that is how you activate the deep core system! Your diaphragm, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, and multifidus muscles. These muscles work together to support your spine and create stability during movement.
But when breathing is shallow and disconnected from the diaphragm:
- The core doesn’t engage properly
- The ribs stop moving, making the spine rigid
- The pelvic floor and abdominals become tense or weak
- Lower back muscles start to grip, trying to compensate for lost stability
Over time, this can lead to chronic low back pain, poor mobility, and reduced movement confidence.
Most People Don’t Even Know They’ve Forgotten How to Breathe Pilates Brings that Awareness Back.
Do you find that you hold your breath when you’re exerting strength? Or maybe you’re even holding your breath at work?
In Pilates, breath is not (merely) a relaxation tool. It’s a foundational movement principle.
We use breath to:
- Mobilise the spine and ribs
- Reconnect to the deep core system
- Regulate the nervous system (from fight-or-flight to calm-and-alert)
- Improve posture and stability from the inside-out
- Release tension in overworked areas like the neck and shoulders
“Breathing is the first act of life and the last.” – Joseph Pilates
If you’re struggling with ongoing back, neck or shoulder discomfort and nothing seems to be helping, your breath might be the missing piece.
You don’t need to be “fit” or flexible to start. In fact, stressful exercises may create more problems and stiffness.
You just need a teacher who can help you observe, retrain, and breathe better so your body can move better, too.
Want to understand your breathing and posture?
Book a Mobility Fitness Assessment with us.
You’ll gain insights into how your breathing patterns are affecting your posture, movement and pain, and what you can do to feel better.
