Pilates Helps Improve Balance

We see quite a few older clients at Wellness Professionals Pilates and one of the primary motivations of these folks is staying fit and active. It’s no secret: staying mobile and strong is important, as it helps stave off aging and helps prevents falls and other injuries.

Pilates is a great way to keep everything working properly. It keeps us toned, strong, flexible, and improves balance.

These benefits were confirmed in a 2017 study that studied the effects of six weeks of mat Pilates on a group of women over 60 years of age. The subjects were evaluated before and after the Pilates intervention. The authors found:

• Improvements in lower limb dynamic balance, which helps the “elderly ability to move around more safely and to avoid the risk of suffering falls.”
• Improvements in stair climbing.
• Improvements in stamina in the “Chair Stand test,” indicating increased strength in hip and knee extensor muscles.
• Improved flexibility in the lumbar and hip joints.
• Improved arm and shoulder flexibility. This important, as it helps with basic daily activities, such as “combing the hair, dressing shirts, reaching objects and so on…”

These results confirm what we’ve seen in our Fayetteville, AR studio. If you want to improve your health and would like to try Pilates, give Wellness Professionals Pilates a call today at (479) 444-9449 for more information.

Bertoli J, Biduski GM, de la Rocha Freitas C. Six weeks of Mat Pilates training are enough to improve functional capacity in elderly women. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies 2017 Oct;21(4):1003-1008. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2016.12.001.