Pilates For Life

Even though Pilates has increased in popularity over the years, there are still a lot of people who believe that in order to try Pilates, you have to be young, or a dancer, or already fit. But the truth is,  Pilates can be beneficial for people of all ages and fitness levels, and your Pilates practice can continue to grow and change with you over the decades.  “ The challenge, no matter what your age, is to get the discipline and live in close communication with your body.”

20s and 30s: A Foundation for the future

Most people are at their peak fitness potential in their 20s and early 30s, making this a great time to begin a lifelong commitment to physical activity.  “ Many 20-year-olds haven’t realized yet that there are physical limitations”, but this is a good time to really establish sound exercise habits, in terms of biomechanics and the use of muscles around the pelvis and spine.

The discipline and concentration Pilates requires can help younger women channel their energy and make all their movements more efficient.  This can provide great cross training for other sports, helping to prevent injuries and enhance performance.

Pilates can also help prevent future pain and injuries that arise from poor body alignment.

For women interested in starting a family.  Pilates is an excellent pre & post natal workout.  That’s because exercising the core muscles, especially the pelvic floor, can help you develop the strength needed for childbirth.

40s and 50s: Staying Strong and Supple

By the time we reach our 40s, its important to start thinking of exercise as something that will contribute to our quality of life for the rest of our days.  We need to make sure that whatever exercise we’re doing includes a flexibility component, and a component that will sustain muscle mass and bone density.

The type of resistance training Pilates apparatus work provides is especially crucial for women approaching menopause, since it not only helps to maintain strength for everyday activities, it can stave off bone loss and help you keep at a healthy weight as well.

For a person busy with the demands of home, work and family.  Pilates offers a very efficient form of exercise, it can help you build muscle strength, endurance, body awareness and balance.

Many women undergo treatment for breast cancer in their 50s, and they look to Pilates as something they can do in preparation for surgery, as post surgical intervention, and as something they can sustain through chemo and radiation.

60s and UP:  Improving Quality of Life

In your 60s, 70s and beyond, the primary focus of any fitness routine is to maintain enough strength and mobility to be able to perform daily activities safely and easily. 

Building inner core strength through Pilates can help protect the back, hips, knees and other joints, as well as correct the rounded upper back and hollow chest common in the elderly.

Pilates can also be useful as part of a rehabilitation routine after a joint replacement, either alone or in conjunction with standard physical therapy.