We all now know the importance of movement to keep our bodies mobile, but what happens if you find it hard getting up from and down to the floor? Chair Pilates can offer the solution. This doesn’t mean using a fancy piece of Pilates equipment called the Chair, but using an everyday dining room or kitchen chair.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you won’t be doing much! Chair Pilates enables you to work your whole body, building strength whilst also working on flexibility and balance. This is important at any age and especially as we age and muscle tone starts to weaken. Chair Pilates can improve your strength by challenging your body by using your own body weight whilst putting the least amount of stress on your joints.
There are lots of Pilates exercises that can be done whilst seated in the chair and whilst standing but using the chair for assistance. Also, providing you’ve got a Pilates for osteoporosis qualified instructor (like myself), it can be safe for anyone with this condition. As you move your body against gravity, you’ll create more lean muscle to support your bones and skeleton. Other joint issues, such as arthritis, are also helped by Chair Pilates as being seated, you put less pressure on the joints and the movement can ease any stiffness.
So if you want to keep mobile as you age and are looking for a low-impact, full body exercise option that will build strength, balance and flexibility, Chair Pilates could be the option for you.
As the French author Jules Renard once said “It’s not how old you are, it’s how you are old.”
For more information about my Chair Pilates classes, contact me at sallydoylepilates@gmail.com