Pilates for seniors is among the best exercises recommended by experts to boost energy, decrease body aches, and improve the quality of life for elders. Fitness experts also agree to the fact that these Pilates-based workout routines can help you overcome physical limitations that can accompany you as you age.
Be it Pilates or any other workout routine, regular exercise is essential for living a healthy life. However, the majority of people in today’s world do not take out time to exercise and workout is not given the due importance it actually deserves.
Not being able to get involved in any exercise routine at a younger age can create several issues at a later age. Thus, it is crucial to start exercising while you are young and energetic. Nonetheless, if you have reached your late 50s or 60s, you can still start working out.
One of the best exercise routines you can start off with is Pilates. Being introduced by Joseph Pilate, this exercise routine is considered one the best drill for increasing the strength and flexibility of the body.
With time, Pilates has spread to every corner of the world and it is now being followed by millions of people across the globe.
Alongside young people, a considerable number of elders rely on this fitness routine to cope with their losing balance and flexibility. Pilates for seniors is designed in a way that they can help alleviate backaches, joint problems, and flexibility issues.
These Pilates-based workout routines also work on improving balance that keeps diminishing with age.
This article aims at providing information about what Pilates for seniors actually is, how it works and what the possible benefits and disadvantages of this workout routine.
Pilates For Seniors Definition
Pilates for seniors is a low-impact exercise routine that aims at alleviating muscular imbalances, enhancing balance and strength, improving movement patterns, and also works at boosting energy.
The workout routine for Pilates for seniors is designed in a way that gently addresses the physical limitations that an individual faces at their later ages.
Advantages of Pilates For Seniors
Pilates is the expert-recommended workout routine for aging joints. It is one of the excellent full-body, low-impact workouts that works on your entire body, from strengthening your core to improving balance and flexibility, this workout routine can help you reap several benefits.
Below are the major benefits that Pilates for seniors can help you boast.
Number One: It Improves Flexibility, Balance, And Endurance
Balance, flexibility, and endurance are crucial for every individual to perform their everyday activities well. With the passage of time, the flexibility and the ability of the body to balance keep diminishing.
These benefits of Pilates are backed by several scientific studies. One of the studies conducted in June 2015, to measure the role of Pilates exercise training on physical fitness and wellbeing in the elderly revealed that this workout routine has shown positive effects on physical fitness, balance, and fall prevention in elders.
Alongside flexibility and balance, this workout routine helps to deal with stiff, swollen feet and loose ankles. However, it is recommended to practice Pilates under the supervision of experts. Also, it is suggested to consult a health care provider before getting into this routine.
Number Two: It Increases Mobility
As you age, it becomes difficult for the body to maintain a controlled range of motion, which ultimately results in falls and injuries.
Several studies have proved that Pilates helps in the smooth transitioning of your movements and is an ideal workout to improve your range of motion.
Incorporating Pilates for seniors in your daily workout routine can give you freedom of motion by building strength, support, balance, and flexibility.
Number Three: Fights Body Aches
Designed to work on your core muscles, Pilates has the ability to alleviate body aches, commonly backaches, and lower back pains.
According to a study conducted in January 2019, Pilates is an effective exercise routine to treat low back pain. It works directly on your core, strengthening your body structure thus alleviating the major back issues.
Number Four: It Strengthens Your Immune System
Pilates for seniors can play an important role in boosting immunity, especially among adults. A study conducted to test the role of Pilates on the immune system of people above 65, found that it plays a significant role in improving the immune system.
Number Five: It Improves Cognitive Thinking Among Older Adults
One of the major benefits of Pilates is, that it improves your memory, thinking and improves the coordination between your mind and body.
According to scientific studies, Pilates improves blood circulation to the mind that directly aids the development of neurons responsible for learning, thinking, and memory.
The Major Disadvantages Of Pilates For Seniors
Although there is an array of benefits of Pilates, one must not ignore the possible drawbacks of this low-impact workout routine. Here we have gathered some of the major disadvantages of Pilates that seniors must consider before hopping into a Pilates-based workout routine.
- Pilates can cause body aches if followed without expert instructions.
- As Pilates cannot be followed without a professional Pilates instructor, they are not accessible for everyone following their cost.
- They do not work on your weight and thus are not recommended as weight loss workouts.
- Pilates requires a higher level of concentration that may not be possible for the elders.
- You may have to wait for a longer period to get your desired results as Pilates takes time to give physical results.
- You may not get results similar to those of weightlifting/bodybuilding from Pilates.
- The equipment may be difficult for some people to handle. And these too require a trainer to operate.
- Pilates doesn’t involve Cardio.
- Pilates is not followed as it was originally created because modern Pilates has taken its place.
- Pilates for seniors is not recommended for those who are having medical issues like osteoporosis or arthritis.
The Takeaway
To begin with your Pilates-based workout routine, it is essential to compare the benefits and disadvantages of Pilates. If the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, you must not incorporate Pilates into your daily workout routine and vice versa.
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