The Benefits of Yoga & Pilates For Older Adults | Keeping Strong (2024)

FAQs

The Benefits of Yoga & Pilates For Older Adults | Keeping Strong? ›

When it comes to yoga vs. Pilates for seniors, they can actually work together. Strengthening your core in your Pilates classes will give you better balance in yoga. Increasing your flexibility in yoga classes will allow you to move bigger and deeper in Pilates.

When it comes to yoga vs. Pilates for seniors, they can actually work together. Strengthening your core in your Pilates classes will give you better balance in yoga. Increasing your flexibility in yoga classes will allow you to move bigger and deeper in Pilates.

The slow, measured movements involved with yoga poses can lead to better balance and movement, which can also help prevent falls. As falls are the leading cause of injury among seniors, yoga helps provide the tools you need to improve your mobility so you can get around more safely. Lessen the risk for depression.

Practicing Pilates two to three times per week improves posture, strength, and body awareness. These benefits will help you live confidently and independently for many years to come. Pilates is especially beneficial if you are dealing with some of the special conditions that affect seniors.

See what works for you:

For maximum benefits, we recommend incorporating both Pilates and yoga into your lifestyle. The emphasis on core strength in Pilates means you can do more in your yoga practice, and visa-versa, so combined together they can completely transform and tone your body in ways other workouts cannot.

Chair yoga for seniors is ideal for those who cannot stand for long periods or who cannot work on a floor mat. With chair yoga, you can do all the yoga poses with the support of a chair. A chair allows you to practice yoga poses while seated and can be used to provide support when standing.

Health benefits of Pilates

improved flexibility. increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the 'core muscles' of your body) balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body. enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs.

If you really want to notice a difference in how you feel from doing Pilates, Anna recommends doing it at least three times a week.

Some great Pilates Mat exercises for seniors include the Single Leg Pull, Double Leg Pull, Side-Lying Series, Clam, Modified Plank, Chest Expansion, Leg Slides, and Thigh Folds.

Currently, there are no official guidelines for how often older adults should do yoga. However, research suggests that practicing yoga at least twice weekly promotes decreased anxiety and depression. Establishing a consistent routine is the key to long-term success.

What happens to your body when you do yoga everyday? ›

Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing to healthier hearts. Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga.

You're Never Too Old for Yoga. While not a cure-all, yoga offers countless health benefits to seniors.

Is 20 minutes of Pilates a day enough? If you're following the right workouts, absolutely! 20-minutes a day is plenty to get you in Pilates shape. And if the alternative is not doing Pilates at all, then it's even better (you gotta work with what you've got).

Any activity that moves your muscles against resistance is strength training. By that definition, Pilates is certainly strength training. It uses resistance –– from your body weight or a reformer machine –– to challenge your muscles. Many Pilates exercises work core muscles in the abdominals and lower back.

If done right, you can achieve amazing results with just pilates and some walking. Of course, your goals also depend. But for relatively any person who doesn't want to look like a big strong person, pilates and walking is the way to go.

If you want to increase your strength and flexibility, Pilates might be the better choice. If you want to improve your overall wellness, you might choose yoga. Still, much depends upon the particular classes available to you and the skills and qualifications of the instructors.

You are never too old to begin your Pilates practice. If you are 60+ years and active, you are ready to start!

Pilates is certainly a more intense workout that burns calories faster and produces physical results quicker, so you could make the argument that Pilates is the harder of the two. But again, everything comes down to what you wish to get out of the class and the methods your instructor takes to get you there.

The most common response was that Pilates “is more dynamic” and “it is better suited to those who are hoping to lose weight and tone up”. Several of those polled stated that Pilates “feels like a proper workout”, while others suggested that it was a more “fun” way to increase their heart rate.