I slept on a waterbed ...
Align Fitness
... and then my shoulder aches and pains started. I'm not saying waterbeds are bad! Many people love them and sleep well on them. I now know that my particular body shape needs more support through the shoulders and hips than what a waterbed can give.
It took over 12 years, many doctors, chiropractors, physical therapy sessions, acupuncture visits, Tylenol and nights waking up in tears before I was finally given some sound advice: balance out the front and back of your shoulders.
An orthopedist at a local clinic gave me that advice, along with some simple exercises to do to start (photos below of a routine I do 2-3 nights per week before I go to sleep). When I started, I used no weights and could barely do 8 reps per position! The exercises strengthen the mid-trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior delts. Strengthening these particular muscles helps to stabilize the shoulder blades and therefore, helps to open up the collar bones and improve posture. They have been crucial to my now pain-free nights and to my awareness of the importance of shoulder blade mobility and stability.
Pilates has helped me beyond words, as well. Within my Pilates practice, I can work my latissimus dorsi and lower traps, feel the relationship between them and the obliques, and mobilize my spine. Pilates helps me connect to my body and how it moves.
Then, I can challenge that connection in my barre practice - pushing my body and my mind safely because Pilates has shown me my limits.
This relationship between Pilates and barre is inspiring to me. Sometimes I have a bad night here and there, but I am 99.9% better than I was 20 years ago!