Pilates and Advancing Age
Regularly practising Pilates is a great way to make you feel good about yourself and your body as you mature. There is no greater preparation for later life than regular Pilates practise.
Your joints will be healthy, your spine flexible and your muscles toned.
It is considered a perfect exercise regime for the older individual as it places minimal stress on the joints and is partially weight-bearing which is good for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease, which involves the gradual and painless loss of bone, increasing the fragility of bones and making them prone to fracture. 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 in the UK will break a bone as the result of osteoporosis.
Pilates can help maintain and improve bone health. The focus on good posture, core stability, balance and coordination is very beneficial. As Pilates strengthens your muscles, it will also help to improve bone density as the muscles pull on the bones, which can in turn stimulate bone growth. However, if you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you will need to consult your medical practitioner before embarking on a Pilates programme and inform Lenka about it. Depanding on the degree and site of bone loss, you may be advised to avoid certain movements while exercising.
There is no upper age limit to doing Pilates, many of my clients are fit septugenarians.
Menopause and post-menopause
Women tend to experience mood swings, depression, irritability and sleep disturbances, among several other symptoms, during menopause. Moderate-intensity exercise is known to help manage these symptoms, and simple exercises like breathing and stretching are also great stress blasters. Deep abdominal breathing not only focuses the mind, it helps tone and strengthen abdominal muscles too.
Pelvic floor and menopause
During menopause, women can experience a decrease in estrogen which may initiate thinning and weakening of the pelvic muscles and connective tissues. This makes us more susceptible to decreased tone, elasticity and suppleness in the tissues of the pelvic floor.
As your body’s hormones fluctuate through perimenopause, these changes may occur whether you’ve given birth or not. For some women, proactively engaging in activities to strengthen the muscles will suffice during this time. Others may require additional support such as vaginal bioidentical estrogen. Either way, strengthening your pelvic floor prior to and during this time of transition can lead to a strong healthy core and not only help ensure comfort and pleasurable sex throughout the years, but minimize your chances for urinary and/or stool incontinence later in life.
Pilates, combined with a healthy balanced diet and regular aerobic exercise, will help you to keep your weight under control and will also assist in reducing some of the more unpleasant symptoms of menopause.