1. Women must wear heels

Dilemma: Sure, sneakers are in fashion right now, but most ladies in Bangkok definitely aren’t blessed with the option of rocking a sweet pair of kicks to work. Heels may make a woman look good by arching her back to emphasize her curves, but at the same time they move your weight forward and shift your center of gravity. Your torso will try to compensate by overarching backwards, which puts your hips and spine out of alignment and causes lots of strain, leading to poor posture and chronic back pain. This doesn’t even take into account walking up and down Bangkok’s potholed streets or tackling the steep stairs to the BTS.

Solution: If you can, change shoes before you take public transport or trade them for a pair of sandals while you’re in the office (check out BK’s guide to fashionable sneakers and sandals). Another effective option is a pilates exercise called “the stag,” which can easily be done anywhere, anytime. First, make sure your head, ribcage and pelvis are vertically aligned. Then consciously imagine yourself trying to fill up your neck and lower back area while you breathe. This motion helps your abdominals become naturally active and contract--just try to avoid sucking your belly in!

2. We spend an average of two hours stuck in traffic daily

Dilemma: Whether you’re commuting to work in your own car, or hailing a cab to and from your office, the scary truth is Bangkokians spend a lot of time stuck in traffic. Some of us may use the commute as a good opportunity to tuck into a book or relax while listening to some tunes. But if your car-bound, the reality is many car seats tend to slope backwards and prolonged sitting means a slouched back and hunched shoulders. Also, sleeping in the car usually entails that your head (which weighs around 5kg, by the way) tends to tilt to the side, straining your neck and shoulder muscles. You may not feel anything right now, but it can cause serious problems in the future.

Solution: Pair a light-impact tension-relieving treatment such as a session at Theta Float Center, a few hours at Yunomori Onsen or a reflexology session, with an easy breathing exercise to help strengthen your core as well as release unnecessary tension from your neck. Move your tongue to the roof of your mouth and inhale through your nose. Feel your diaphragm go down. Then exhale through your mouth, while consciously being aware that your diaphragm and pelvic floor area are moving upwards as your stomach flattens. Repeat for a few minutes.

3. Taking public transportation means carrying everything… everywhere

Dilemma: Sure, there’s the BTS to accelerate our commute from two hours down to thirty minutes, so you’re not slumped inside a car forever. But remember, living in this city also means carrying a lot of stuff around, whether it’s your laptop, office documents, gym gear or makeup supplies. And the BTS and MRT sure get crowded at peak hour. This can throw off your natural gait and put your muscles off-balance, causing them to shorten and stiffen. Apart from messing up your back, you’ll also get tension headaches.

Solution: Going light is always the best bet, but if this isn’t possible, a tension-relieving whole-body massage may be the trick (see some of our favorites, here).  Even better is a regular exercise like the mini wave. Standing upright, place your hands on your thighs and bend your knees slightly. Then inhale, and try to fill up the space in your neck and waist area and you’ll feel a wave-like motion that starts from below your bellybutton to your tailbone and upwards towards your head, then exhale. Try not to hold your breath.  Note that this movement isn’t supposed to be forceful.

4. It’s hard to eat well

Dilemma: It’s difficult to fight against all that delicious street food, colorful desserts and happy hours surrounding you in this city 24/7. Sure, it’s good to indulge once or twice a week, but did you know that your spine and back actually need sufficient nutrients to remain strong and straight? Lack of vitamins, protein and water weaken your backbone and the muscles holding it up, so if you have any unexplained back pain, this might be the case.

Solution: Drink lots of water and eat your greens. If you want to eat out, choose a place run by health-conscious folks such as Broccoli Revolution or Dressed, or better yet go organic and get your groceries from Passion Delivery or Paleo Robbie. But did you know there’s also an exercise for that? Make sure your spine stays hydrated all day by doing mobility exercises such as simply rolling a golf ball under one foot for 30 seconds. Then switch over and doing the same on the other foot.

5. We work long hours at our desks

Dilemma: Doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO, regular 9-5 worker or an entrepreneur, a lot of Bangkokians find themselves glued to their office chairs for the majority of the day. You may claim that you aren’t a sloucher, but even things like prolonged typing on a keyboard, looking downwards while writing down a long note with a pen, and moving a computer mouse up and down can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the discs.

Solution: Short of sitting on a stability ball or getting a standing desk, you might consider a non-invasive treatment such as a sports massage at i.sawan or a gua sha (Chinese therapeutic scraping) session at Lin Ho. A more proactive measure would be joining a Zen Ga class, exclusively offered at The Pilatest, which utilizes myofascial release techniques (which involve applying gentle sustained pressure) to treat bodily aches and pains under the supervision of experienced and knowledgeable instructors.

 Brought to you by The Pilatest

For more ways to look after your body, consider The Pilatest, Pilates Studio by Rachel Park, which offers personal Pilates training in Japanese, Korean, Thai and English languages. It’s also the only Pilates studio in Thailand with a residential STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer, which is pretty much top of the line in this industry.

Sukhumvit Soi 49, opposite Samitivej Hospital, 02-258-4854. Whatsapp or Line: 091-576-9006. thepilatest.com IG: the_pilatest_rachel