6 reasons to give pilates a try

Pilates is an excellent choice for those looking to begin a safe, effective and fun workout. Even if you aren’t in the habit of exercising, it’s never too late to start. Pilates is possible

at any age and may help prevent falls and improve joint health. Pilates is a mind-body, low-impact exercise focusing on core muscles while improving flexibility, balance, coordination and

overall strength. Pilates can be done at home with an exercise mat or reformer, in a Pilates studio with a certified trainer or at your local gym. Joining a studio gives you access to a full

range of equipment, including the reformer, the most well-known Pilates equipment, which uses a spring and pulley system to build lean muscle mass. Many studios, gyms and streaming

platforms offer online mat and reformer classes that you can join from home. “Movement and staying active is the number one thing research shows that assists in overall mobility as we age,”

says Karyn Staples, owner of ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio in Peachtree City, Georgia. A 2022 systematic review of Pilates among older adults detailed the benefits, which

included building lower limb strength, increasing trunk stability, preventing falls, improving sleep and helping emotional well-being.  Here are six reasons Pilates can improve your health

and wellness regardless of age, plus three tips on getting started. 1. BETTER BACK Back pain occurs in people of all ages but can cause more significant problems as we age. Pilates helps

relieve back pain through core strengthening, increased flexibility and improved posture and spinal alignment.  As a mind-body exercise, Pilates increases your core strength, posture and

balance. Before beginning Pilates, you might go through your day without much thought to how you sit, stand and move, only to have aches and pains at bedtime. Pilates helps increase your

body awareness, so you’re more likely to notice yourself slouching when tired and can self-correct. This can go a long way in helping to reduce chronic back pain. “If I could get the posture

where they look up and their eyes are facing at an anatomical level and they’re just getting that head back over shoulders, rib cage and hips, I think that would take care of so many

issues,” says Madeleine Hackney, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a research scientist at the Atlanta VA. “If you don’t have your posture in the

right place, if you don’t have your back and your spine strong with everything you’re carrying around on these two legs, you’re going to have lots of problems there.” Your posture can also

improve respiratory function, digestion and blood circulation. Postural training through Pilates may lower your risk of herniated discs and falls. This leads us to our second reason for

rolling out your Pilates mat. 2. BALANCE AND FALL PREVENTION Most falls happen either early or later in life. Nearly 39,000 older people died from falls from 2020 to 2021, according to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — that’s more than 100 deaths a day. Pilates can lower the risk of falls, especially as we age.