Strength and Flexibility: How Pilates Keeps You Moving Through the Years

Posted by Annalice DeLamater
Posted on: Jan 9, 2025 2:25:13 PM

Reset_Lounge_Pilates-Aging

Getting older isn’t for the faint of heart—aches, stiffness, and surprise creaks can make even the best of us groan. The good news? Pilates is here to help you move through life with strength, flexibility, and a little less grumbling.

At ReSet Lounge we offer Pilates classes with Revive Pilates, designed to meet you where you are, helping you prevent injury, ease joint and body pain, boost your performance in a favorite sport, or simply feel more agile in daily life. Pilates focuses on balance, mobility, and core strength—all essential for staying mobile and dodging future injuries. Plus, it teaches you to coordinate breath and movement, helping you move with proper alignment and core awareness. As Joseph Pilates himself said, "If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young." No matter your starting point, Pilates brings unique benefits to support you as you stay active and vibrant through every stage of life.

Core Strength and Flexibility

Improving core strength is one of the main reasons people start Pilates, and it’s especially important for maintaining mobility and independence over the years. Your core isn’t just your abs—it also includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and hips, which all work together to keep you upright and stable. A strong core supports better posture, balance, and functional movement, allowing you to round forward, lean back, side bend, rotate, lift your leg, and balance with ease. Building core strength through Pilates helps you move with confidence, no matter your stage of life.

Balance and coordination

Pilates engages the deep, smaller intrinsic muscles that stabilize your body, whether you’re sitting, standing still, or moving—like walking, biking, kickboxing, carrying groceries, or doing housework. It emphasizes control and precision in every movement. Over time, Pilates improves your body awareness, helping you understand where your body is in space—which can make you less prone to falls and injuries.

Improved Posture

During a Pilates session, you’ll focus on maintaining proper alignment, building balanced core strength, and improving spinal flexibility in all directions—fundamental for preserving mobility and reducing stiffness over time. It’s not just about working your muscles; Pilates also strengthens the connection between your mind and body, helping you move with greater precision and control. With consistent practice, you’ll notice tangible improvements in your posture, allowing you to stand taller and move more comfortably as the years go by.

Strong Bones

Incorporating exercises that improve bone density and strength becomes essential over time. Pilates emphasizes proper alignment while performing low-impact, weight-bearing movements, which are particularly beneficial as bones naturally lose mass and density with age—especially in women after menopause when calcium and other minerals are lost more rapidly. Using the reformer can help stimulate bone growth while also strengthening the muscles that support your bones. Building strength in your core and limbs enhances stability, reducing the risk of falls. And if a fall does happen, stronger bones are better equipped to protect against fractures.

Increased Mobility

As we age, our muscles and joints can become stiff and achy—whether you rarely exercise or tend to overdo it. Pilates places equal emphasis on stretching and strengthening muscles, which is key to every movement. For muscles to work effectively, they need to both engage and relax properly. Focusing solely on strength can create imbalances that strain the joints and lead to pain. By finding the right balance between strengthening and stretching, Pilates helps improve overall mobility. Maintaining a full range of motion in your joints ensures you can perform exercises effectively and get the most out of your efforts.

For all abilities

Pilates truly is for every body, making it an ideal choice for people of all ages and abilities. Mat Pilates can be done anywhere with enough space and is traditionally practiced without equipment. However, props like resistance bands and Pilates balls can be added to either assist or challenge your movements, adapting to what your body needs. The reformer, a versatile machine with a moving carriage controlled by springs and pulleys, offers adjustable resistance to provide support or increase the intensity of exercises, which can be especially beneficial for aging bodies that require personalized care.

It’s important to recognize that not every exercise needs to look the same for everyone. Since our bodies change over time, an exercise might look slightly different for one person than for another, yet both can effectively target the same muscle group and achieve the same benefits. For those with specific limitations or goals, private sessions offer a tailored approach to help maintain strength and mobility at any stage of life.

Mental Health benefits

Pilates, like any form of exercise, stimulates the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain, which can boost mood and overall well-being. At the heart of Pilates is breath work, guiding controlled movements, and fostering a strong sense of body awareness. Mindfulness plays a key role, helping you stay present during practice, reducing stress and anxiety, and keeping negative thoughts at bay. A study published in Cell Metabolism found that biological age increases with stress but returns to baseline following recovery, highlighting the importance of stress management for maintaining vitality as we grow older.

Deep, intentional breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, often called the 'rest and digest' state, helping your body feel relaxed and less stressed. In contrast, the sympathetic nervous system, or 'fight or flight' mode, is designed to protect us in dangerous or stressful situations. However, living in constant stress mode is neither sustainable nor healthy. Developing mindfulness and using breathwork to shift your body’s response to stress can have a profound impact on your overall health and wellness.

Pilates classes also provide valuable social interaction and a sense of community, which can become even more meaningful as we age. Regular attendance helps you connect with your instructor and fellow classmates, building positive relationships that enhance mental health, happiness, and overall well-being.

Move better, feel better

Overall, Pilates is an excellent exercise system that supports your health and mobility at every stage of life. It improves strength, flexibility, balance, and body awareness—key components for staying active and independent as you grow older. Whether you’re looking to relieve back pain, build bone health, enhance mental well-being, or simply move more comfortably, Pilates offers unique benefits that can help you age gracefully and confidently. Visit our Chagrin Falls spa and take the first step toward a stronger, healthier you. Schedule your first session today!

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Topics: Restore, Wellness, Rejuvenate, Stress, Pain Management, Relaxation, Mobility, Active Aging, Flexibility, Pilates