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Body Aligned Pilates • April 9, 2019

Too Old for Pilates? NO WAY!

I hear it all the time, “I’m too old for Pilates.” Let me assure you; nothing could be further from the truth!

But don’t believe me! I’d like to introduce you to two of Body Aligned’s clients — and subject-matter experts — Fran and Evelyn.

In her early 70s, Fran had issues walking in which one side of her pelvis would tilt severely downwards as she took steps (Trendelenburg gait). While visiting her daughter in New York, Fran happened to talk to one of her daughter’s friends who was a Pilates instructor. She highly encouraged Fran to do Pilates as a safe, effective way to work on her leg and pelvis muscles without risk of further injury to her joints.

That’s where I came in.

As soon as Fran came home to Tampa, she immediately took the advice she’d been given. She found me, made her first appointment, and has been doing Pilates with me ever since!

While paying careful attention to Fran’s knee and hip joints, we strengthen her lower body muscles to improve her gait. And, we broadened our attention towards strengthening her upper body as well. I introduced some exercises enhancing her ability to lift herself up on her forearms and developing the strength of her upper arms, shoulders and back. Little did we know how quickly she would need her new strength.

Unfortunately, in 2014, Fran suffered a mild stroke. But Pilates came to her rescue — as she credits our work on her upper body with her ability to seek help! You see, her stroke happened in a distant part of her home away from the phone. Thankfully, she had the upper body strength to be able to crawl her way to a phone and make the call to 911. (She coyly reports the responding EMTs were cute!)

Her elbows may have been rubbed raw from the long crawl, but her strength held out! Imagine if she had not been doing Pilates … I shudder to think.

Along the way, Fran did require a double knee replacement (her damaged knees were causing her uneven gait). But after being released from rehabilitation, she returned to Pilates, continuing to improve her knee function and keeping them in the best condition going forward.

Fran is now 85! (Don’t worry, I asked her if it was okay to share her age with you.) I asked her if she thinks there is ever an age when one is “too old” for Pilates. Fran said, “Absolutely NOT!” And she should know; she’s living proof. In fact, she was on the Cadillac about to start her session when I asked her.

But Fran is a young whippersnapper compared to our new client, Evelyn, who will be 96 in May (She’s also proud to share her age.)

Evelyn didn’t begin taking Pilates until her late eighties, at an outstanding studio in Pensacola, Florida. But recently, Evelyn moved to Tampa to be near her daughter and son-in-law (both of whom are also my clients).

Pilates had become so important to her that before she even started packing, she made sure she had her Pilates sessions all lined up here at Body Aligned. She says it’s the one time of day when she can completely focus on herself and her body.

Keeping that mind/body connection became even more critical in the last few months. Unfortunately, in December, Evelyn also suffered a mild stroke.

Luckily, her well-developed upper body strength allowed her to crawl as well — to get help from her daughter across the hall. (And in case you’re wondering, she agreed with Fran: the EMTs in Tampa are “hunks!”)

But don’t count Evelyn out! She’s already back at Pilates (and GYROTONIC® appointments as well). She’s doing all of the exercises she was doing before her stroke, and even starting to add new ones!

In fact, her physical therapists at Tampa General Rehabilitation were effusive about what great condition she was in. They credited her years of Pilates with her ability to quickly regain muscle memory and function much faster than many of their patients. She was apparently quite the inspiration around there!

When I asked Evelyn at what age would she say someone was “too old” for Pilates, she said, “Never! In my experience, Pilates can be tailored to match the condition of the person. So, under the supervision of a good instructor, I believe anyone can do Pilates.” She added, “I want to stress to everyone, though: Start early! I wish I had known about Pilates when I was younger because it would have been so good for me — both physically and mentally. But, it’s never too late to start!”

Evelyn is right. We at Body Aligned are trained to customize sessions to the individual. No matter what your age or conditioning, in a private Pilates session, we can adapt a program that perfectly suits you. You’ll feel both challenged and accomplished. You’ll feel good! (And, like Fran and Evelyn, you’ll be more prepared for unexpected health issues that arise as we age.)

So, listen to these two beautiful ladies. They know what they’re talking about from experience! Be proactive and schedule a session with one of our well-qualified instructors today. I promise you: You’re not too old. You’re JUST RIGHT!!

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