Pilates for All Ages

Pilates is appropriate for all ages and ability levels. We accept children as young as 13 in all group classes (with parental permission), and we take on clients of absolutely any age into private training sessions. Owner and main instructor Amy Langone has experience with children in fitness starting at the pre-school level and has worked personally with clients above and beyond 80 years of age. Please see her credentials on our website for details on her experience with special issues, injuries, and ailments. 

Balanced Body Pilates recently published an article to their website, www.pilates.com written by Ken Endleman, CEO and founder of Balanced Body Pilates outlining concerns of growing obesity rates in children in the US. The article is titled Pilates & Our Children : Fitness for the Future:

“The health of today's children is compromised by a culture of convenience and increasingly sedentary activity. Eating fast food, watching TV and playing video games has become habitual while a nutritious diet and physical activity is on the downslide. (…)

Concerned parents are now looking at exercise programs for their children in an effort to keep them fit and set them up for a lifetime of good health. (…)

A rigorous exercise regimen, however, may not be beneficial for young children and could even be harmful. The concern stems from the fact that a young child's developing skeletal frame cannot handle the demanding forms of exercise in more aerobic-oriented or cardiovascular programs. For these children, a safer, healthier, low-impact workout is needed such as Pilates.”

Pilates can also be especially helpful as an addition to a current training routine for student athletes in any sport - baseball, football, tennis, lacross, track and field, cycling, golf, wrestling, basketball and gymnastics, among many others. The argument that Pilates is for girls is almost not worth bringing up anymore. Take a moment (or have your teenage son take a moment) to search through recent media publications for prominent male athletes who utilize Pilates in their training routines and you'll see just how common it is.

Now, on the other end of the age spectrum, I cannot tell you how often I hear the excuse that someone is “too old” to start something like Pilates or Yoga. This is among the more frustrating excuses I hear, as it arguably becomes exponentially more important for older adults to stay active and maintain the basic range of motion that Pilates and Yoga exercises emphasize. 

In another article featured on the Balanced Body website, Ken Endelman elaborates on the undeniable benefits Pilates can hold for older adults. Whether it’s for balance, coordination, posture, surgical rehab, or just to keep them moving, there is scarcely an argument against it. Here is an excerpt from the article: Pilates and Older Adults: A Gentler, Effective Way to Stay Fit:

"Pilates for older adults, particularly on a Reformer (resistance-based equipment with springs and ropes connected to a sliding padded carriage) is wonderful because it is a relatively light resistance as opposed to some gym equipment, where even the lightest weight on the rack might be too much for them," says Beth Williams, a physical therapist at Dynamic Movement in Reno, Nevada.

Increased control and stability is crucial for older adults as it can help them improve much of their functional movement, including balance and posture. "As people get older, they can lose some of their balance and coordination. Pilates increases strength and flexibility in both the core and the legs, which positively affects balance. This, along with basic fitness benefits, can help them reduce the risk of falls," says Herman. "And Pilates is also a good way for older adults to rehab from surgical procedures like a hip replacement or knee surgery."

 Here are two photographs of Joseph Pilates himself. As you can see marked on the photo, on the left he is 57 years old, and on the right he is 82 years old.

If you or someone you know is looking for a specialized Pilates regimen, please contact the studio today. Initial consultations are free of charge and obligation.

60 Day Challenge - The Male Perspective on Pilates and Yoga

At the beginning of October, my husband Andrew set out on a 60 challenge (self imposed, I must add). The schedule was to be as follows for two months:

Sunday Morning - 10am Pilates Mat with Amy

Tuesday Evening - 5:30pm Pilates Reformer with Amy

Thursday Evening - 7:30pm Vinyasa Yoga with Erica

Friday Morning - 7am Pilates Reformer with Amy

You'll note the Sunday morning mat class is not on the Oxygen class schedule... this is an extra special class offered on our living room floor while our dog Vincent foils Andrew's every exercise attempt by curling up on the mat behind, beside or in front of him. Vincent particularly enjoys pestering during planks and push ups. 

At the beginning of his program, Andrew and I discussed some of the preconceptions he had about exclusively doing Pilates and Yoga and not participating in a traditional weight training program at the same time (preconceptions that most men tend to share). Specifically, we addressed how the muscles would change with Pilates and Yoga - that we would not be building muscle size, per-say, but would instead improve muscle strength, function and flexibility collectively. 

We recorded his measurements (chest, waist, hips) as well as fit test results (push ups, sit ups, chin ups, sit and reach, plank hold), to be compared with measurements and a fit test after 60 days of the program.

After the first week, Andrew reported significant muscle soreness throughout most of the body. Different muscles from usual. He did remark however, that he still felt like he needed to work out -- that because he wasn't doing a typical weight training routine that he somehow was not doing "enough". He knew he was sore and had worked out plenty, but the change in routine was something to get used to. 

Side Arm Press on the Reformer

After the second week, he reported that he was feeling more comfortable with the exercises, particularly on the reformer. For most men, the spring settings are different than for the average woman, as men tend to have more upper body strength. The foot bar is also positioned differently for his height. The first week we spent more time figuring out the correct settings, the second week we were able to ramp up the workouts a bit more. 

After the third week, the muscle soreness was lessening from Reformer and Pilates Mat, but the flexibility challenges of yoga still remained. He reported that he could really feel how much his body needed this type of exercise, even though he still felt that he should be doing "more" (push ups, chin ups, etc). 

As we enter into the fourth week, the classes have very much become a part of his weekly routine. We both take yoga together on Thursday nights with Erica and we not only enjoy the solid workout, the relaxation that we feel at the end, but also the time spent together.

The only workout missed so far was Reformer on November 1st, due to a leg injury sustained moving downed tree branches on the road after a Halloween party (see pictures below). 

Richard Simmons and Gene Simmons

Tree Limb Blocking Rt. 133 in Pepperell, MA

So just about halfway through the 60 day challenge, Andrew already feels that he will keep Pilates and Yoga as part of his workout rotation. He will begin weight training and running again, but he will aim to continue 1 yoga class per week, and one reformer or mat class per week going forward. 

So what's your challenge? The holidays are fast approaching, get a jump on it this year!