Pilates Over 50 | The Perfect Exercise for Middle Age
Why Pilates is the perfect exercise when you’re over 50
Congratulations! If you’ve celebrated your 50th birthday and you’re in good health it’s definitely worth lighting a few candles, staying up late and generally partying. Mid-life is also a time when we realise that we can’t take good health for granted. You have to nurture your body a bit more. If you want to stay active and make the most of your life, you may have to work a little to build muscle strength and maintain flexibility.
A strong body is empowering
Many people dread getting older. But there’s no reason why you can’t feel good about yourself as the years roll on. It’s often the time when you know what you want. You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. And feeling healthy and strong feels good.
What are the health benefits of Pilates for the over 50s?
Both men and women can benefit from taking up Pilates regularly. And here’s why … Pilates:
Lowers your blood pressure and helps to improve circulation
Increases your flexibility – by gently stretching your muscles, you increase flexibility in your joints, tendons and ligaments; you move more easily and without pain
Supports your spine and helps prevent back injury
Helps to strengthen your core muscles, essential for stability, strength and balance
Pilates is a great body-mind routine – it focuses on your breathing; it’s gentle yet challenging at the same time
It’s a whole-body exercise routine - Joseph Pilates, the founder of the Pilates Method, created ‘Contrology’. He described this as “the conscious control of all muscular movements in the body.”
Pilates is one of the best exercises for helping you in daily life – carrying groceries, lifting grandkids – just getting around. I could add that it will improve your love life too, but I don’t have the statistics to prove it!
It’s not a competition
Pilates is all about exercising at the right pace for you. With the correct guidance, you can do Pilates safely so that you’ll achieve all the benefits, without the risk of injury or strain. And it doesn’t require you to invest in any expensive equipment or fancy gym gear.
At Active Pilates, we supply everything you need to get you started. After 7+ years of teaching Pilates, I’ve seen amazing changes in people who come to my small-group classes. I’ll also admit to being ‘fit and fifty’ myself. So, I know exactly how you feel. I reckon life gets better after 50 – and it’s never too late to start.