6 ways Pilates can help you to Age gracefully
Ageing is a natural part of life. And it’s a good one - going hand in hand with more knowledge and countless experiences to look back on with fondness. But it comes at a cost. As the years progress, life begins to take its toll on our bodies; leaving us feeling achy, stiff and noticeably less mobile. But that doesn't have to be the case! If you’re looking for a way to stay fit and healthy as you get older, we have the answer. Keep reading as we share all the details on how Pilates can help to improve the usual signs of ageing - helping you to age with grace, strength and independence.
Client in her late sixties doing an advanced Pilates exercise on the Reformer in a Private Session
Did you know that anyone can do Pilates - from ages 10 - 100? The benefits of a regular Pilates practice are demonstrated in scientific studies and experienced first-hand by men and women - young and old - around the world. Pilates is a mindful, low-impact exercise designed to optimise the human anatomy - this means that it helps our body move in harmony with our biological structure, instead of pushing the body beyond what it normally can and should do (like certain vigorous sports). Pilates doesn’t place any unnecessary stress on the joints, all while developing control, strength, flexibility, mobility and full-body health. By tuning into the rhythm of your breath and focusing on proper alignment and form, you can safeguard your body against common degenerative signs of ageing and stimulate those endorphins to leave you feeling positive, confident and youthful at heart.
Think you’re too young to worry about ageing? It’s never too soon to take charge of your health, and trust us when we say that it’s a lot easier to prevent issues than cure them! Take action now by adding Mat, Reformer, Cadillac or other apparatus Pilates to your workout routine - you’ll be learning skills that will last you a lifetime with these benefits:
1. Easier movement
Pilates teaches you to focus on your body alignment and conditions your muscles for optimal movement. It also places a lot of emphasis on spinal flexibility, good co-ordination, improved neuromuscular control and core strength, all of which are key to functional movement, particularly as you age. And it’s not just during workouts that you’ll feel the benefits. Learning how to move in the most efficient way possible means you won’t expend unnecessary energy performing everyday actions. As you get older, even the simplest of movements can feel like a struggle - think twisting to look behind you, bending down to pick something off the floor, climbing the stairs - but by correcting your alignment and mobilising your joints with Pilates, you can make your body a more effective movement machine. It’s something you’ll begin to notice in every part of your daily life; perhaps your arms won’t ache after grocery shopping, you’ll be able to carry your grand kids, and you won’t need support to sit down or get up from a low chair.
2. Stronger muscles
An obvious plus for staying healthy as you age is keeping your muscles in good working order. And that means building and maintaining strength. Loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia / muscle atrophy) is a natural part of the ageing process, but the extent to which your muscles decline - and the early or lateness in life that this starts to happen - is something you can have a hand in. Just one of many frightening statistics states that muscle strength can reduce as much as 30% between the ages of 30 and 50, so it’s important to start that training now by engaging in regular physical activity that focuses on your muscles. And it doesn’t have to be super intense. Weightlifting is great (if done safely), but in fact any form of exercise that uses any kind of load (even simply working against gravity!) can build strength. That’s where Pilates comes in. Research continues to show the fantastic positive impact that Pilates - even performed just on the Mat using bodyweight as resistance - can have on improving muscle mass and strength in elderly participants. Build up to exercises using the weighted springs of the Reformer and/or Cadillac, and you’ll soon have the healthy, toned muscles that you desired in your youth to see you through your golden years.
3. Better posture
Poor posture is said to affect 1 in 3 people at some point in their lives, and even more so as you get older. The core strength and core stability required by most Pilates exercises help you to hold your body in correct alignment and encourage correct posture (i.e. preventing hunched shoulders, overarching of the back, or compensating for weakness in another area of the body). And it’s about more than just standing tall. Improving your posture also helps you to avoid development of more serious conditions, sleep better, improve your circulation, and much more. If you choose to do Private Pilates, your SmartFit instructor will create a personalised programme specific to your body that works on improving your posture by focusing on spinal alignment, head placement and pelvic positioning (if necessary) as well as helping you work toward your other personal goals.
4. Greater stability
Stumbles and falls are extremely common in elderly people and those aged 65+, making them the highest cause of injuries in older adults. While they can be the result of poor eyesight and/or low blood pressure, most often the reason for the fall is simply losing your balance. That’s why Pilates focuses so much attention on stabilising the body, starting with your core. Your core muscles (that reside in your abdominals, spine, glutes and hips - to name just a few) form the body’s powerhouse; stabilising your trunk, keeping your body in correct alignment and ensuring you can move your limbs with control. A weak core makes it much more likely that you’ll suffer from falls or injury as a result of flailing movements, sub-par body positioning or any other kind of imbalance. As well as powering up your powerhouse and correcting your alignment, our highly-qualified instructors also dedicate time to improving your body awareness and stability in often-neglected areas like the feet and ankles to help keep you upright and mobile. Come and join a Pilates class with us and we’ll soon wake up those stabilising muscles and get your body feeling balanced.
5. Reduced aches and pains
Daily aches and pains that range from moderate to chronic are most often the result of immobility and a sedentary lifestyle - two things that become even more likely as we get older. Often the culprit for your pain can be a problem in a totally separate area that is going unnoticed. For example, lower back pain caused by pelvic misalignment or weak gluteal muscles. Our private Pilates instructors are specifically trained to help this by rehabilitating any areas of weakness or misalignment via a personalised programme that’s tailored to you. And you can certainly reap the benefits in small group Pilates classes too. Whether on the Reformer or Mat, all our Pilates classes focus on stretching out tight muscles, mobilising the joints, improving body awareness, strengthening your core and helping you to harness the mindful and physical power of your breath - the combined result of which is sure to be a reduction in the aches and pains that will only cause you more discomfort as you age.
6. Healthy bones
Resistance training - like that performed on the Reformer, Cadillac or Chair - is consistently shown to improve bone density and build strong, resilient bones. Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide (stats suggest 1 in 5 women over 50 suffer with the disease) as the years pass, but by taking steps to strengthen your bones, you can keep your skeleton healthy and ensure painful but avoidable problems like these are kept at bay. Reformer Pilates is the perfect choice for this, as it effectively loads and strengthens the bones without putting your joints under any significant stress. This is what sets Pilates apart from other forms of resistance training, which may increase your risk of fractures and other injuries.