Welcome to the October edition of Pilates Central News.

In this edition:

• Ageless Pilates
• Ford Perfect
• Infrared Pilates
• Dyer Straights

Ageless Pilates

“If at the age of 30 you are stiff and out of shape you are old. If at 60 you are supple and strong then you are young,” reflected Joseph Pilates. The founder of Pilates, or contrology as it was then known, was convinced that his exercises could help with the problems of ageing. He said: “We retire too early and we die too young. Our prime of life should be in the seventies.”

Reformer Pilates can help with a variety of conditions, giving better posture mobility and flexibility and helping those with balance issues. It can also help prepare the body for surgery and aid in recovery. Pilates is low impact and the level of resistance on a Reformer machine can be easily adjusted. The fact that is partially weight bearing can be good for the symptoms of ageing such as stiffness, joint pains, rounded shoulders, stooping, arthritis and even some effects of Parkinson’s Disease.

For those with osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease, Pilates can be effective as strengthening the muscles in the back and legs helps in maintaining or increasing bone density and therefore avoiding fractures. The NHS estimates that around three million people in the UK have osteoporosis. In these cases using the springs on the Reformer to increase resistance will help build muscle strength and be good for bone health.

Pilates also improves balance and reduces the risk of falls, something older people are prone to. In the US a 2021 study by the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research found that three months of Pilates for a group of women over 60 showed an improvement in their balance and a decrease in the likelihood of falling.

Pilates can be tailored around any particular problems that come with age. If you can’t sit up easily or if lifting your head strains your neck or you have delicate wrists, the Reformer can avoid putting pressure on these areas and doesn’t jar the body. It is also very effective at treating injuries that come with age as you can still exercise on a Reformer while working around something like an injured ankle or wrist.

Pilates’ emphasis on posture through core strengthening and thoracic back extensions helps too. Avoiding a rounded back can help reduce the risk of compression fractures. There are also mental benefits as concentrating on breathing and the slow controlled movements of Pilates can reduce stress and anxiety, while engaging both body and mind can reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Reformer Pilates is not just for the young, it was originally designed for rehabilitation. Joseph Pilates invented the Reformer while helping hospital patients at a world war one internment camp on the Isle of Man. Reformer Pilates can be effective for anyone recovering from say a hip or knee replacement or an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

At Pilates Central our Pilates is custom-made for each client according to their age and needs. Doing any form of exercise will reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and dementia. But Pilates seems the ideal all-round exercise for the mature person who wants to age gracefully with good posture and controlled movements. As Joseph Pilates once said: “You are only as young as your spine is flexible.”

Disclaimer: If you have a pre-existing health condition consult a healthcare professional such as a doctor or physiotherapist before taking up any new form of exercise.

Ford perfect

When it comes to conversions England rugby player George Ford has some glowing praise for Pilates. He told the Guardian: “I’ve been doing a lot more Pilates. I know that sounds funny but what it has done to help my hip, my back, my kicking, everything has been great.”

Ford is now 32 and told the Times that his kicking in particular has benefitted: “We feel as rugby players that we’re strong, we can lift weights in the gym and stuff, but [Pilates] has exposed a few areas for me in terms of weakness… I actually wish I’d started it a bit earlier.”

Ford who has 100 England caps and plays fly half for Sale Sharks is backed up by his Opta stats. He’s the top fly half for kicking metres per 80 minutes in the Gallagher Premiership since 2023, and is second for try assists and turnovers won. He’s been playing some of the best rugby of his career and is now targeting playing in a fourth World Cup for England in Australia in 2027. He captained England to a win over Argentina in July and wants to become the best fly half in the world.

Ford’s story even inspired a letter to the Guardian from reader Tim Heavisides of Shropshire, who wrote: “I was very pleased to read George Ford’s ‘confession’ that ‘in recent months I’ve been doing a lot more Pilates.’ In the last six years, so have I, and I wish that I’d discovered Pilates 50 years ago when I was playing rugby; I’m sure I would have recovered more quickly from injuries and maintained a higher level of fitness with a much stronger core, so essential in such a physical sport.”

Infrared Pilates

Peta Bee of the Times is the latest journalist to try Infrared Pilates. It’s all rather Star Trek as we learn that “Infrared heaters emit electromagnetic waves that travel through the air and heat objects, including our bodies. They can penetrate the skin by up to 1.5 inches and come in three wavelengths: far, mid and near.” Before the class she is handed, “a bottle of water infused with electrolytes to replace any salts lost in sweat and asked to strap on ankle weights.”

Bee, who normally does classical Pilates, performs a series of lunges, abdominal exercises with mini dumbbells and stretches as the temperatures goes up from 35C to 38C. She writes: “Throughout, my sweat rate increases far beyond my norm and yet, for someone who is prone to complain that most shops, cinemas and restaurants are “too bloody hot”, I still feel surprisingly comfortable.”

Advocates of infrared Pilates say it will improve muscle recovery, mental health, sleep and your complexion, though there isn’t solid scientific evidence that it will detoxify the body, writes Bee. She isn’t entirely convinced by some of the claims, writing that though she slept well, “I wake with the gentle Doms (delayed onset muscle soreness) that is typical post-Pilates.”

But overall she found it an enjoyable experience: “If nothing else, a toasty studio offers welcome relief when the worst of the winter weather hits. I know where I will be heading in peak cold snap.”

Dyer Straights

It was a sad moment when Dani Dyer had to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing with a fractured ankle after she “fell funny” during rehearsals, just two days before the show’s launch. But she’s been recovering at home with children Santiago, Star and Summer, with West Ham footballer husband Jarrod Bowen helping out. On the debut show of Strictly a disappointedDyer commented, “It was really hard watching the launch show… It’s been so heart-breaking and I think I needed to grieve it, but like you said I need to get my big girl knickers on.” 

But now the Daily Mail reports, “The TV personality enjoyed some downtime as she got a facial and did a reformer Pilates class, despite her injury.” Dani posted an Instagram picture of herself on a Reformer with her legs straight and a heavily bandaged left ankle.

Indeed, Pilates can be a very effective rehabilitation exercise for people with injuries as the Reformer is so versatile, allowing exercises where you can use your body and arms but not put weight on an injured foot. As one of Dani Dyer’s Instragram followers commented: “Nothing stops Pilates!”

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The Pilates Central Team