Pilates for Strength
Image credit: Erin Girard
Being a certified personal trainer since 1999, I’m aware of the importance of increasing our strength so that we can do life better. Whether we need to pick up our little ones, carry groceries in from the car, or go for a hike with the dog, being stronger helps us to do those daily tasks with ease and helps us stay injury free.
The good news is numerous studies demonstrate that resistance training is the perfect way to build our strength, along with increasing bone density and lean muscle mass.
Traditional Pilates on the equipment is a great example of resistance training. It provides constant resistance using the spring system on the apparatus. Pilates also improves coordination, flexibility, and balance. An amazing byproduct of being physically active, it helps us manage our weight more effectively.
I came across a small study of 25 post-menopausal woman (ages 59 to 66 years old) participating in Pilates twice weekly for 3 months. Participation in exercise programs is highly recommended for older adults since the level of physical fitness directly influences functional independence (Bergamin et al., 2015). Muscular strength was evaluated with the handgrip strength test, the chair sit to stand test, and the abdominal strength test. The study determined that Pilates was effective for increasing strength by 8% for the handgrip test, 23% for the sit to stand test, and 31% for the abdominal strength test (Bergamin et al., 2015). Pilates for the win!
It's important to pick physical activities that you enjoy doing, as studies show that doing what you love helps you stay consistent. And we LOVE Pilates around here at the studio!
Resources
Bergamin, M., Gobbo, S., Bullo, V., Zanotto, T., Vendramin, B., Duregon, F., Cugusi, L., Camozzi, V., Zaccaria, M., Neunhaeuserer, D., & Ermolao, A. (2015). Effects of a Pilates exercise program on muscle strength, postural control and body composition: Results from a pilot study in a group of post-menopausal women. AGE, 37(6), 118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-015-9852-3
