Hey there! It’s neither too late nor are you too old to start your Pilates journey. If you are above 60 and active, you are ready to do Pilates exercises.
Pilates is getting popular in the fitness community for the past ten years. No matter whether you are young or old, it’s a perfect way to improve your mobility, flexibility, and strength.
Staying fit and maintaining balance can be hard for seniors. However, with the help of healthy movements, you can stay fit and improve your overall fitness.
Best Pilates Exercises For Seniors
There are numerous benefits of Pilates for seniors. Most seniors who participated in this fitness system found relief from back pain, arthritis, and improvement in their mobility and flexibility.
Here are some of the Pilates exercises for seniors that mainly focus on the trunk and pelvis. Pilates for seniors are mainly low-impact exercises and thus are ideal for seniors to rehab from knee or hip surgeries.
1. Side Circles Pilates
Side circles are low-impact movements that can help you improve balance and joint flexibility. It targets your lower back, abs quadriceps, and glutes. Here’s how to perform this exercise:
- Lie on your right side by supporting your head with your right hand and straight legs.
- Make sure you are not arching your spine and your hips must be vertical.
- Now, lift your left leg towards the ceiling and move your leg in small circles (anti-clockwise and clockwise).
- Complete 5 circles on your left leg.
- Now, come back to the starting position and repeat the same exercise on your right side.
2. Bird Dog
The bird dog is a simple Pilates exercise suitable for people of all ages including seniors. This core exercise will help you improve stability and relieves lower back pain. While doing this exercise, you have to use your whole body to target your muscles. It is also a good exercise for seniors to avoid injury and align the spine.
Here’s how to do it:
- Start on your both hands and feet in the tabletop position. Your hands must be parallel to your shoulders and knees below your hips.
- Keeping your spine neutral, engage your core.
- By drawing your shoulder blades together, raise your left leg and right arm. Remember to keep your shoulders and hips parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a maximum of 10 seconds before coming back to the starting position.
- Now, repeat the same on your opposite side with your right leg and left arm.
3. Mermaid
This Pilates mat exercise will stretch your obliques, inner thighs, and shoulders. It also strengthens your pelvis and ribs. Here are the steps to perform the mermaid side stretch:
- Sit on your mat by folding your both legs to the left side.
- Support your body by placing your right hand on the floor.
- Extend your left arm parallel to your head. Keep your left shoulder down and without hiking up the shoulder bring the inside of your arm close to your ear and bend to the right side.
- Inhale deeply and hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Now, repeat the same on your other side.
4. Forearm Plank
This Pilates exercise will help you target the whole body and strengthen your core. All you need is to grab a Pilates mat and get started. To perform this exercise:
- Lie on your stomach on the mat. Bring your elbows parallel to your shoulders and your forearms flat on the mat.
- By resting your legs behind you, and knees slightly hip-width apart, lift your hips upwards.
- Lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from ankles to the head.
- Squeeze your upper back and hold the position for max 30 seconds.
- Now, slowly lower your back towards the floor.
5. single-Leg stretch
The single-leg stretch will help seniors to strengthen their abdominal muscles. Moreover, it can also help stabilize the spine, and build strength in your torso. This Pilates exercise will improve your stability endurance and coordination. To do this exercise:
- Lie straight on the floor on the mat and bring your both legs to the tabletop position.
- Place your hands on the top of your knees.
- Now exhale and place your both hands on your left knee.
- Bring the right knee back to the floor.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Exhale and do the same with your right knee.
- Repeat this exercise on both knees 5 times.
Note: As a newbie, you must do these Pilates exercises under the supervision of trained Pilates experts.
FAQs
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that focuses on strengthening the core muscles. It can be done with or without equipment. It is a great workout for people of all fitness levels. This fitness system focuses on improving strength, flexibility, and body awareness.
How To Do Pilates?
This fitness system is best done under the guidance of a certified Pilates instructor. However, there are many Pilates workouts available online or on DVD that can be done at home. As a newbie, it is important to use caution and go at your own pace. As you become more familiar with the Pilates exercises, you can increase the intensity and number of repetitions.
What equipment do I need to do Pilates?
You can do Pilates using a Pilates mat, ring, or ball. But, there are many other variations that can be done without equipment.