Pilates: Understanding Rib Closure, Its Benefits, and How to Achieve It

How do you close your ribs in Pilates?

In Pilates, "closing your ribs" refers to the intentional engagement of deep core muscles to stabilize the torso and prevent the lower ribs from flaring outwards, ensuring optimal spinal alignment and a strong core connection, particularly during exhalation and movement.

Understanding "Rib Closure" in Pilates

The concept of "closing your ribs" in Pilates is a fundamental principle aimed at optimizing spinal stability and core engagement. It does not imply literally collapsing your rib cage or holding your breath, but rather a controlled, dynamic action that integrates the breath with deep abdominal and back muscles. Its primary purpose is to counteract "rib flaring," a common postural misalignment where the lower ribs protrude forward and upward, often indicating an overextension of the thoracic spine and a disengagement of the deep core. By understanding and practicing rib closure, you create a stable foundation for all movement, protecting your spine and enhancing exercise efficiency.

Anatomy of Rib Closure

Achieving effective rib closure relies on the coordinated action of several key muscles:

• Transverse Abdominis (TVA): This is the deepest abdominal muscle, wrapping horizontally around your torso like a natural corset. When properly engaged, it flattens the abdomen and helps draw the lower ribs gently inward, contributing significantly to spinal stability.
• Internal and External Obliques: These muscles lie superficial to the TVA and run diagonally. While primarily involved in rotation and side bending, their lower fibers assist the TVA in stabilizing the pelvis and lower ribs, especially during exhalation.
• Diaphragm: The primary muscle of respiration, the diaphragm works in conjunction with the TVA. During exhalation, as the diaphragm relaxes and ascends, the TVA can more effectively engage, facilitating the gentle drawing in of the ribs.
• Erector Spinae and Multifidus: While often associated with spinal extension, these deep back muscles, particularly the multifidus, work synergistically with the TVA to create a 360-degree cylindrical core stability. When the ribs are "closed," it helps maintain a neutral spinal curve, preventing excessive arching in the lower back.

Why Rib Closure Matters

Mastering rib closure offers numerous benefits for both your Pilates practice and overall physical health:

• Improved Posture: It helps realign the spine, reducing excessive lumbar lordosis (swayback) and thoracic kyphosis (rounding of the upper back), leading to a more upright and elongated posture.
• Enhanced Core Stability: By engaging the deep core muscles, it creates a stable base for movement, allowing for more efficient power transfer from the center to the extremities.
• Reduced Risk of Injury: A stable core protects the lumbar spine from excessive strain, particularly during movements that involve lifting, twisting, or extending.
• Increased Exercise Efficiency: When the core is stable, prime movers (like the hip flexors or shoulder muscles) can work more effectively without compensation from an unstable torso.
• Better Breathing Mechanics: It encourages lateral thoracic breathing, where the ribs expand sideways on the inhale rather than just forward, promoting fuller lung capacity and better oxygenation.

How to Achieve Rib Closure: Practical Cues and Techniques

Achieving rib closure is a subtle, nuanced skill that requires awareness and practice. Here's how to cultivate it:

1. Establish a Neutral Spine: Begin by lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart. Find your neutral pelvis – a position where your pubic bone and hip bones are level, with a small natural curve in your lower back. Avoid pressing your lower back flat into the mat or arching excessively.
2. Focus on Lateral Thoracic Breathing:
   • Place your hands on the sides of your lower ribs.
   • Inhale: Breathe deeply, allowing your ribs to expand outwards and slightly upwards into your hands, without letting your lower back arch off the mat.
   • Exhale: As you exhale slowly and completely through pursed lips (like blowing out a candle), feel your ribs gently soften downwards and inwards towards your midline. Imagine your "corset" gently cinching in. This is the primary action of "closing" the ribs.
3. Engage Your Deep Core (TVA):
   • As you exhale and your ribs soften, simultaneously draw your naval gently towards your spine, without flattening your lower back. Think about drawing your front hip bones (ASIS) gently towards each other.
   • This engagement should feel subtle, not a forceful contraction. You should still be able to breathe comfortably.
4. Verbal and Tactile Cues:
   • "Imagine your lower ribs melting into the mat."
   • "Think of your sternum softening towards your navel."
   • "Draw your breastbone down towards your pubic bone, without crunching."
   • "Gently zip up from your pubic bone to your navel, then extend that feeling up to your lower ribs."
   • Place a light hand on your lower ribs to feel them soften and draw in on the exhale.
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid:
   • Holding Your Breath: Rib closure is integrated with breathing; never hold your breath.
   • Excessive Crunching: It's not about forcefully crunching your upper body down, which often disengages the deep core and strains the neck.
   • Flattening the Lower Back: While the ribs draw in, maintain the natural curve of your lumbar spine. Over-flattening can lead to posterior pelvic tilt and compromise spinal health.
   • Over-Tension: The engagement should feel controlled and integrated, not rigid or overly strained.

Integrating Rib Closure into Pilates Exercises

Once you grasp the sensation, consciously apply rib closure to virtually every Pilates exercise:

• The Hundred: As you pump your arms, maintain the gentle engagement of your TVA and keep your lower ribs softly "closed" to prevent your back from arching.
• Roll-Up: During the controlled descent and ascent, the rib closure helps articulate the spine segment by segment, preventing the ribs from flaring and allowing for a smoother, more controlled movement.
• Leg Circles: As your legs move, maintain rib closure to stabilize the pelvis and prevent rocking, ensuring the movement originates from the hip joint, not compensatory spinal movement.
• Plank Variations: In a plank, actively draw your lower ribs in and up, preventing your hips from sagging or your lower back from arching.

Conclusion

"Closing your ribs" in Pilates is a sophisticated core principle that goes beyond a simple instruction. It represents a deep connection to your inner unit – the Transverse Abdominis, diaphragm, multifidus, and pelvic floor – fostering a stable, efficient, and injury-resilient body. By consistently practicing this subtle yet powerful engagement, you will unlock greater strength, control, and fluidity in your Pilates practice and improve your overall postural health. Remember, it's about intelligent, integrated movement, not rigid bracing.