I am getting ready to celebrate a “landmark” birthday.  I’ll turn 60 in December.  When people ask how I plan to mark the occasion, I typically describe two trips I have planned.  But I find I am thinking less about the 60th anniversary of my birth than the 30 or so years I may have left beyond that day.  I often joke with my clients that “it’s all maintenance from here on out.”  But sustainability has become a major theme as I think both about my own aging and how I teach Pilates.

My appreciation for the power of Pilates has only grown over the years.  First, I experienced my own body change and improve.  I went from chronic pain to mostly pain free, increased my strength and endurance, and toned every muscle.  When I became an instructor I witnessed my clients achieving similar benefits.  Now I am beginning to understand and emphasize three qualities that make Pilates a particularly valuable tool as we age. 

Pilates promotes fitness both in the studio and outside of it.  A well-rounded Pilates practice can help older adults keep doing the things they love and even take on new physical challenges.  One client, age 58, reported she was able to hike farther while carrying a heavy backpack during her vacation this summer.  She attributes this change to practicing Pilates for the past year.

Pilates adapts to fit every body.  Pilates trains us to use all of our muscles, distributing effort and avoiding the wear-and-tear caused by recruiting the wrong muscle for the job.  Older bodies—which are often slower to recover from intense physical activity—benefit from working smarter, not necessarily harder.

Pilates encourages independence.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to see my clients when they come in for their workouts.  But many are now free from work and parenting roles and they like to travel.  Once they know how to do them correctly, Pilates practitioners can perform many mat exercises in a minimum of space with little more than a mat or towel.  This means they can maintain hard-earned strength and flexibility even when away from home.

A successful, happy retirement is not simply a function of how much your stock portfolio is worth.  In the long run, physical fitness is more important than the size of your bottom line.  And, if you take time now learning to stay fit and pain free, your investment will reap guaranteed returns.   

Pilates is a good fitness investment.  It is adaptable to any level of fitness—from high performance athlete to committed couch potato.   It gets results.  And, it does not require a huge time commitment.

Ask yourself these questions:  What do I hope to do when I am retired?  Will it be enjoyable—or even possible—with the body I have now?  If the answer is no, you are the only who can take steps to change your future by finding a path to strength and pain free function. 

When we began working together, one of my clients had stopped playing the viola because it caused debilitating pain.  Another had given up golf--a sport she loves--due to sciatica.  For both these women life was not as sweet without these pleasurable pursuits.  Over time, with better mechanics, strength, and flexibility, both of these clients are playing again--without pain. 

It doesn’t have to be Pilates.  There are other ways to get and stay fit. But there is no time to lose.  Like most financial investments, the sooner you begin investing in your health and fitness the better.