Pilates Gold

Are you ages 65 years and above? Do you want to get active? Or you want to help your parents be more active in their golden years. The good news is fitness has no retirement age. It is never too late to start exercising and reverse the years.

Consider a large-scale study in 2019 which examined the level of activity of over 315,000 participants, aged 50 to 71 years old. The study found participants who were previously inactive, but increased their physical activity in late adulthood (40 to 61 years old) to four to seven hours a week had a 32 to 35% decrease in mortality risk, compared to those who remained inactive. They also caught up with participants who were always active, who had a 29 to 36% reduction in mortality risk.

The fact that older adults, who are new to exercise, could experience similar gains in life expectancy as older adults, who have been active all their lives suggests it is never too late to be active!

WHAT IS YOUR BIOLOGICAL AGE

While you can’t change your chronological age, which is based on the number of birthdays you have had, you can lower your biological age with exercise.

For example, if you are 65 years old, and could climb up a flight of stairs like a 40-year old without feeling breathless, and without knee or ankle pain, your biological age is close to 40 years old. You have the fitness and mobility of a younger person. You can decrease your biological age by staying active. You can be and feel young again.

WHY PILATES

Aches and pain generally increase with age as our joints stiffen and we lose our range of motion. We sometimes need to have a good stretch. The Pilates machines — using the spring system — not only provide the assistance to stretch, but also the resistance to build strength. In fact, the Pilates reformer — a moving bed  —  has been described as a “magic machine” for resolving pain and muscle imbalance in the body, particularly knee pain.

Apart from stretching and strengthening the body, Pilates also improves your core strength. While walking and resistance training such as carrying light weights are generally recommended for older adults, not much attention has been focused on the midriff.  While it is good to have strong arms and legs, we also need our abdominal muscle to be strong to help us get out of bed every morning (trunk flexion), and support our back when we bend over to brush our teeth or pick up an object from the floor.

The deep abdominal muscle, in particular keeps the lumbar spine stable, improves hip health and prevents incontinence. Having trunk stability also translates to better standing balance and reduces the risk of falls. We are only beginning to understand the benefits of core exercise for active ageing.

START TODAY

You are never too old to start Pilates. If you are new, or want to do with a loved one, try our Pilates 1-1 or Duet. See our private classes. Want to be social? Join our small group classes, known as Reformer Gold. See our group classes. Don’t wait, book a class trial today!

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    What Clients Say

    My Parents Really Enjoy the Senior Gold Class

    Hidden Pilates gem in the area! May is an amazing and passionate Pilates instructor! She is extremely attentive to my parents who have been attending the senior Pilates Gold class for more than half a year - and has helped them train full body muscles to improve balance, weight distribution when walking and assuage their knee pain. My parents really enjoy her classes and feedback that she’s extremely patient on guiding them to make the right Pilates postures! Adding on, they also highlight her facilities are very clean! Thumbs up~
    Wendy

    Able to Sit on Hard Chairs, Feel Refresh

    I’d been having back pain when I sit. I couldn’t sit for long because of the pain. Sitting for a meeting became a problem. Since yesterday after the session (of manual therapy and Pilates,) I experienced a vast improvement. I'm able to sit even on hard chairs. When I got home yesterday, I was completely exhausted and slept very well. I am refreshed today. Thank you.
    Sylvia

    Ease the Effects of Chemotherapy

    Cancer and chemotherapy have greatly affected and changed my body and mind. During chemotherapy, I have developed chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. A year into post chemotherapy, the side effects, pain and discomforts lingered on. My hands and legs were frequently stiff, swollen and tingling with pins and needles. I was struggling with fatigue, balance and mobility. I met May at Move Therapy in January 2018. Her studio is no frills but well equipped and personable. May did not paint me any rosy promises or rainbow illusions. She did some evaluations and suggested we can start with some rehabilitation and strengthening workouts. I never looked elsewhere after our initial workout and I have been going to her since. Thanks to her guidance and motivation, I have physically improved and no longer suffering in pain and discomfort. The tingling pins and needles in my hands and feet have much subdued and most important, I am no longer struggling with my balance and mobility.
    K Foo

    Relieves Knee Pain, Improves Fitness

    I'm glad to have May as my Pilates instructor. May has helped me with my bad knee through exercises and orthopedic manipulation. She is also very patient, and committed to my body's improvement beside my knee.
    Ai Lin