Pilates Is For Everyone

Pilates has changed my life in so many ways. One of the surprises is all the different people it’s brought into my life. Pilates is for everyone, and I’ve taught children as young as 12 up to adults in their early 80’s. No matter their age, every person who enters the Pilates studio teaches me something! 

Teaching Teens

The tween and teenage students are so much fun to teach. They make up fun names for the Pilates exercises and enjoy turning parts of the workout into games or challenges. They are also very honest about what parts of Pilates they like or dislike. The younger groups remind me to have fun and enjoy life like they do. They also challenge me to find fun ways to teach them how to use the props and do Pilates exercises. 

Some teen students come to Pilates to help them with their sport or dance. Other teen athletes (like many adults) come to Pilates because of an injury, imbalance, lack of mobility, or poor awareness of their movement patterns. These issues could be causing some kind of pain or inefficient execution of aspects of their sport or dancing. It’s inspiring to see these athletes and dancers so dedicated to Pilates, especially once they start noticing changes in their activity. 

Adults Who Do Pilates

Adult clients come to Pilates for many reasons. More often than not, they have some kind of pain in their body. For some, the pain has been caused by an accident and Pilates was recommended to them by a healthcare provider. Others have heard from friends who have benefitted from Pilates to help them recover from pain. These clients are so dedicated to working hard and feeling better. It’s amazing to see them work hard, try new things, and keep moving forward even when they face setbacks. 

Active, strong clients also do Pilates! Even the most active people will experience tightness, aches, and pains. I used to be one of those people and was guilty for years of barely stretching after my workouts or runs well into my 30s. I eventually had some pretty rock-hard, tight spots that needed to be stretched, strengthened, and mobilized. There are still days that I kick myself for not taking time to do some Pilates because I feel so much better afterward. I love hearing my clients comment the same as they leave the studio: “That was so great”, or “I feel taller!” or “I really needed that”. 

Pilates for Older Adults

Most people will also experience minor injuries caused by falls, sprains, strains, and the inevitability of aging. (Are you starting to see why Pilates is for everyone at every age?) The group that keeps me the most motivated and inspired to keep moving are my clients in their senior years. Some have been very active all their lives while others have not, but they have all come to realize the importance of keeping their bodies moving.  

These people are not doing Pilates to look a certain way. They’re doing Pilates so that they can do life. They want to continue to do things like walk up a staircase with ease, stand for long enough to cook a meal, and go for a walk in the neighbourhood. They want to spend time in the garden weeding, playing with their grandchildren, or indulging their pets. They want to remain independent and mobile so they can reach the high shelf in the grocery store and keep their balance. The list goes on and on! Pilates helps with mobility to get you up and down from the ground and allows you to twist, bend, lift, and reach with more ease.

Pilates is for Everybody Who Wants to Move Better

The more clients I see who are willing to take the big step to try a new activity at any age motivates me to keep moving my body, too. Seeing people struggle with life because of a lack of strength or mobility makes my heart sad, but it also makes me want to keep moving so I can avoid or minimize the limitations that can creep into our lives as we age.

Pilates is for everybody, but not everyone loves Pilates. That’s okay, as long as you can find other modalities of movement that will keep you strong, mobile, and flexible. If you haven’t tried Pilates yet, give it a go. You just might love it!