Pilates continues to rise in popularity — particularly among those who are focused on healthy aging. Adaptable to all fitness levels, this exercise modality provides a considerable number of body-wide benefits with minimum impact on the joints.
As a Pilates instructor for more than 13 years, I don’t hesitate to share that, in my opinion, Pilates is probably one of the best ways to prolong vitality, longevity, and an independent lifestyle. It’s centered on fundamental exercises and movement patterns that are essential to posture, hip strength, and core strength and functionality. Without emphasis on these three areas, any training program is missing the mark for addressing the factors we face as we age.
These are three of Pilates central benefits, which can support your efforts to live a long, active lifestyle.
1. Better Posture and Spinal Health
As we age, the spaces between our vertebrae become smaller and narrower, which creates compression on the spinal cord and can cause pain or injury. When the spine becomes compressed — or we begin to see spinal deviations, like rounding of the upper back from osteoporosis — pain or injury can occur and lead to a sedentary lifestyle.
To combat this, Pilates works the small muscles along the spinal column with exercises that help lengthen and strengthen the spine. Keeping the joints of the vertebrae mobile and pliable allows the body to move with more ease in everyday tasks.
In particular, the style of classical Pilates that’s offered at Life Time promotes and pushes individuals to work toward their best posture for the entire session, targeting the muscles between the vertebrae. There are many cases of people becoming physically taller after committing to a Pilates routine as these exercises help reverse the compression of the spine.
2. Improved Hip Strength and Mobility
As we age, one of the key factors for remaining independent is the ability to move from sitting to standing (and vice versa) with ease. This requires strength and mobility in several joints throughout the body — especially the hips.
Hip mobility is also crucial for preventing falls and balance issues, in addition to making bending, squatting, sitting, and other everyday movements easier.
Pilates exercises target the muscles all around the hips to create more stability in these important joints. Strengthening the deep abdominal muscles, back muscles, and pelvic floor takes strain off the hips for better mobility.
Pilates also challenges your balance to help your muscles practice staying steady on unstable surfaces. This balance work can lead to more confidence on your feet and more stamina when walking longer distances.
3. Enhanced Core Strength and Overall Functionality
The core is the powerhouse of the body and the origin of most of our bodies’ movements. When we refer to the “core” in Pilates, it includes everything from the shoulders to the hips. Mobility of the shoulders, strength of the abdominal muscles, and awareness of body alignment support a continued active lifestyle as we age. Your head, arms, and legs are all integrated together through your core, so it makes sense that core strength really matters for you to function with ease.
Pilates targets the deepest abdominal muscles that wrap around the entire midsection, which provides stability for your entire core. With a balance of strengthening what is weak and stretching what is tight in the entire core area, Pilates can help people of all ages perform everyday movements better while also decreasing the risk of injury.
Pilates for Healthy Aging at Life Time
Life Time’s ARORA community has several options when it comes to reaping the benefits of Pilates.
ARORA Pilates Fusion is a mat-based Pilates class included in your membership. It is a great starting point for trying Pilates and learning how this exercise modality can keep you active as you age.
ARORA Core Pilates is a semi-private group program tailored to your specific needs and goals. This class uses both a mat and a reformer.
To learn which Pilates program is right for you, book an Intro to Pilates class in your Life Time app. This complimentary session, led by a certified Pilates instructor, is 50 minutes long and you’ll learn the basics and receive professional guidance for your next steps.
The post 3 Reasons to Try Pilates for Healthy Aging appeared first on Experience Life.
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