How to maintain your Pilates body as you age.

Change your lifestyle to change how your body ages.

We have the potential to live longer and healthier than ever before. It is completely possible to maintain your Pilates body despite your biology. However, it requires some mindfulness, discipline and time because your lifestyle factors effect how your body ages.

Six factors that effects how your body ages

1/ Keep practicing no matter what happens

If you get injured or feel blue take your practice down a notch in terms of intensity and duration. You’ll still get the health benefits of maintaining a regular exercise program and recover faster. Pilates is used by physical therapists for that reason.

2/ Clean up your diet

Creating a caloric deficit with exercise alone is really hard unless you’re a professional athlete or have the desire to train like one. Assess your diet and make small changes over time that will take your diet in a healthier direction.

3/ Develop a regular sleep schedule

Your body needs 7-9 hours of uninterrupted time to rest and repair. Make sleep as much of a priority as your job and the loved ones in your life. Keep busy during the day, establish a nighttime routine and wake at the same time each morning.

4/ Build movement into your day

The shelter-in-place orders likely translated into more sitting than prior years. Modify your habits to add movement back into your day. Go for a morning coffee, walk to the grocery store, take up a new hobby or sport, go shopping rather than ordering online, go to a museum or clean your home. 

If you’ve returned to the office, try walking to/from work, walking meetings, adding stretch breaks and lunch hour workouts. Drink more water so that you have to take more bathroom breaks throughout the day.

5/ Give your body time

Forget mantras like “No pain. No gain” and instead be kind and patient with your body. There is no magical pill for maintaining a healthy body. The basic medical guidance is the same for each stage of life but your lifestyle requires a little tweaking as your life changes and as your body ages.

6/ Set a new goal that engages your mind

Your mind is as important as your body. Learn, do or experience something new. Goals add a richness to life and make the struggle worthwhile. Choose something compelling that makes you jump out of bed in the morning to start your day.