Pilates For Longevity

This past summer, I taught a Pilates mat class at the gym where I got my start in fitness over thirty years ago. Would you believe that some of the people in that class have been attending the gym since it opened? I taught some of them decades ago, and there we were, together again (albeit much older). It was fun to reconnect, and it reinforced what I knew already: that fitness and Pilates will keep you mobile well into your elder years.  

Back To The Gym

Teaching a large group class at a gym is very different from the small groups I teach in the studio. For one thing, we have new Pilates students complete a three-class introduction to familiarize them with the method and help us to know their goals and limitations. In a big group class, I didn’t have that luxury. So, I designed a class that was suitable for all abilities, would challenge everyone in some way, and educate them about what Pilates is. 

I wanted to give them a great class that was suitable and safe for a larger group. Advanced exercises are not suitable in this case but we can challenge a group like this and educate. One thing that I did was have them go home and search quotes from Joseph Pilates, and bring them in the next class for a draw prize. A common favourite was one of my own:

Change happens through movement and movement heals.

How perfect, especially for those who have been attending the gym since 1980. They are still there and still moving their bodies. Like me, they keep moving because it has helped them keep moving through life! From pregnancy, parenthood, careers of all kinds, hobbies, injuries and accidents, becoming grandparents, retirements, and caring for their own elders, exercise has helped them through it all. 

Movement For Quality of Life

These life-long gym members and my own clients, particularly my elders, inspire me every day to keep moving. One lady told me about how her 91 year old mother can no longer walk up even one stair, but she had never done anything to keep her body moving. She said, “I might not be able to do everything, but I’m trying. I’m here, and I don’t want to end up like my mom.” Every little bit counts! 

Sometimes, especially as we age, we need a little extra help. Pilates is excellent for that, as every exercise can be modified to meet you where you are at. Then there are all the other wonderful health and wellness options out there, like massage, chiropractic, physiotherapy, and even surgeries to help keep you moving. Now, they have you up and moving after surgery as soon as possible – sometimes just hours later. Movement heals. 

Pilates Was The Missing Piece

I always say that when I found Pilates, it was the missing puzzle piece to my fitness. I realized that I was getting overuse injuries due to repetitive movement patterns over the years spent teaching aerobics and spin classes. I also became more aware of my posture and form. I learned to move with more control and where my imbalances are. Pilates changed my love for doing only sweaty, fast-paced workouts, and helped me find balance! 

Now I do a combination of weight lifting, cardio, and Pilates – all of which makes it much easier to say “yes” to fun activities like hiking, travelling, paddle boarding, pickle ball, biking, and more. Pilates is for longevity, and I hope to keep moving for decades to come.