Pilates is one type of low impact exercise that may benefit your bone health, strength, and mobility as you get older. It can also help improve your posture, memory, and mood. Read on for more benefits of Pilates.
Pilates is a full-body, low impact form of exercise that’s known to align and strengthen the structure of the body.
Regardless of your age, conditioning, or ability level, it’s never too late to start a Pilates practice. Pilates can meet you where you are in skill and strength and support your livelihood for years to come.
Pilates can have tremendous benefits at various stages of life.
Consult a doctor before embarking on any exercise program, and it’s best to work one-on-one with a qualified instructor or in a specialized class if you have any existing health concerns.
1. Improving bone density
Maintaining bone density as you get older is important for counteracting osteopenia and osteoporosis. Increasing bone density through weight bearing exercise is key to
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If maintaining bone density is one of your goals, try Pilates on the apparatus.
Unlike Pilates mat work, exercises performed on the Reformer and Tower (or Cadillac) use spring resistance as “weights.” This type of weight bearing Pilates is likely better for improving bone density than mat work alone.
2. Improving posture
Loss of bone density may contribute to misalignment and slouching. Slouching also contributes to compression of your joints and organs as you get older and can lead to tight and imbalanced muscles, often resulting in pain.
Pilates focuses on aligning and balancing your body, with an emphasis on creating ease and mobility in your joints.
The combination of strength and suppleness in your muscles, along with a deeper awareness of alignment, often results in better posture.
3. Improving balance and gait
Balance and coordination are necessary for everyday activities. People often experience changes in gait patterns as they get older.
Pilates may improve balance and gait through specific balance training and strengthening of the trunk and hips, as well as the feet and ankles.
A good Pilates program will build strength and stability and improve balance, decreasing your risk of falls and fractures. It will also help you develop better habits, such as learning how to carry and pick up objects or how to move between a sitting position and a standing position.
4. Improving mobility
Mobility is the balance of strength and flexibility that allows for a full, controlled range of motion.
Performing only strengthening exercises can leave you tight, stiff, and prone to injury. Focusing only on flexibility can leave an aging body unsupported, weak, and also prone to injury.
A 2022 study indicates that 6 weeks of Pilates may be ideal for improving the mobility and functional mobility of older adults. Greater mobility allows for ease of movement in everyday activities and a lower risk of falls.
5. Improving mood
Pilates is a mindful practice based on the principle of breath with movement. Focusing inward and breathing builds self-awareness and calms your nervous system.
A 2018 analysis suggests that Pilates may improve mental health, particularly by reducing anxiety and depression.
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6. Improving cognitive function
The results of a small 2022 study suggest that regularly practicing Pilates may improve cognitive function (thinking ability), including memory.
This study specifically looked at how a Pilates program affected the cognitive functional performance of 47 women who had missed their periods for at least 12 months. The group of women who took part in Pilates sessions twice per week for 12 weeks showed improvements in immediate memory and evocation (“calling forth”) memory.
7. Decreasing back pain
Pilates targets your core, a supple brace that houses, lifts, and supports your organs and spine. A strong core better supports your back.
In a 2019 study, participants
8. Boosting immunity
Some research suggests that Pilates may help improve immunity, especially among older adults.
One 2020 study of men over the age of 65 years found significant improvements in immune system function after 12 weeks of Pilates.
9. Helping to prevent injury
Pilates prepares your body for everyday activities that require strength and mobility. It focuses significantly on joint support and stability. And as you learn to move with those ideas in mind, you may be less susceptible to injury.
Self-awareness and a deeper connection to your body might also increase your proprioception, helping you become more mindful of how you move through space.
Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program — and if possible, start with one-on-one sessions. Individualized sessions with a qualified Pilates instructor can help you confidently learn the fundamentals and make modifications.
Alternatively, numerous Pilates groups led by specially trained instructors are geared toward active older adults. Plenty of safe and bone-building Pilates modifications are available.
Some signature Pilates exercises are not recommended for anyone with low bone density or osteoporosis. If you have low bone density, you should avoid:
- excessive twisting
- flexion (think of a typical crunch)
- loaded flexion, such as rolling in a curved position on your back
If bone density is a concern for you, try to avoid these specific Pilates exercises:
- Rolling Like a Ball
- Jackknife
- Roll Over
A chair is a great prop to help you lower yourself to the ground or to support your balance while you’re standing. If neither of these options is suitable right now, you can still benefit from chair Pilates (practicing Pilates while sitting in a chair).
A chair can be beneficial for:
- providing feedback about where your pelvis and spine are in space
- helping you find the ideal length and posture without doing fully weight bearing exercises
- strengthening your core
Plus, chair Pilates allows you to get a workout in if you don’t have much space or are working at a desk. Chair Pilates also teaches you to develop better habits for moving between sitting and standing positions, such as when you need to sit in one of the following places:
- in a chair
- on a bench
- in the seat of a car
Medicare is government health insurance that’s available for everyone 65 years old and older, as well as for people younger than 65 who have specific health conditions.
Original Medicare consists of Part A and Part B. Part A covers inpatient care, and Part B covers outpatient services.
Original Medicare does not include fitness benefits, but Medicare Advantage might.
Private insurers administer Medicare Advantage plans on Medicare’s behalf. While these plans must offer the same benefits as Original Medicare, the insurers may choose to include additional benefits, such as coverage for vision, dental, hearing, and fitness.
As an example, a Medicare Advantage plan may include access to Silver Sneakers. This program provides access to live online and in-person fitness classes, including chair Pilates, mat Pilates, and other strength and balance exercises.
Visit our Medicare hub for more information on all things Medicare.
A consistent and mindful exercise practice is essential to maintaining quality of life as you get older.
Pilates, with its variety and modifications, is a low impact form of exercise that’s suitable for older adults. The medical community backs numerous Pilates programs that are bone-safe and geared toward older adults.
Pilates meets you where you are and can help you build strength, confidence, and mobility. Like other forms of exercise, Pilates promotes the release of feel-good endorphins in your body, which can lead to a more energetic mood to keep you performing at your best.
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