Best Way to Keep Women Strong and Healthy

Physical activity is widely known to have many advantages. I guess it’s safe to say everyone knows that.

Researchers keep on carrying out more and more studies to maximize the potential of exercise.

There was one particular study focused on older women which drew my attention.

It was a randomized clinical trial with a total of 110 women aged 60 years and older. The researchers tried to determine the effects of a Pilates exercise program on cognitive and physical functioning.

During the 12-week period, the Pilates group participated in the Pilates exercise program, while the control group did not. Several measures were taken before and immediately after the intervention, including:

• Global cognitive function: meaning orientation, attention and calculation, recall, and language skills.
• Verbal fluency: meaning generating as many words as possible within specific categories, such as animals, colors, fruits, and cities.
• Executive function: using the Trail Marking Test, which involves two parts. In the first part, women were required to connect numbers in numerical order. In the second part, they had to connect the dots of letters and numbers, alternating between them (1–A–2–B–3–C …), with the goal of finishing the task as quickly as possible.
• Functional flexibility: for shoulder joint flexibility, women performed movements in a standing position (placing one hand behind the neck and moving in down the spine, while the other behind the back moved up), for lower body, they sat in a chair and attempted to touch their toes.
• Lower-body strength: women sat in a chair with their arms crossed in front of their chest. They had to stand up and sit down as many times as possible within 30 s.

The results of the study showed that the Pilates group improved in all the measured variables, except for global cognitive function.

These findings are important as they support the benefits of physical exercise for older adults.

As you can see, Pilates is not just a fitness trend; it’s a powerful tool that can improve your well-being as you age gracefully.

I’ve written a whole article proving the beneficial impact of Pilates on low back pain as well. I just can’t stress this enough how advantageous these exercises can be.

Extensive research over the years has consistently shown that exercise is one of the most effective short-term approaches to reducing pain and disability associated with not only low back pain, but tons of other conditions as well.

Pilates offers a multitude of health benefits.

Firstly, it focuses on strengthening the core muscles, which is crucial for maintaining good posture and stability. This is especially important for women's overall health.

Pilates also improves flexibility, reducing the risk of injuries and joint pain that women often experience.

Additionally, it promotes relaxation and a strong mind-body connection through controlled breathing techniques, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Regular Pilates practice can contribute to weight management, toning muscles, and improving body shape, boosting women's self-confidence.

Moreover, it can alleviate common issues like back pain and improve pelvic stability, addressing women's specific health concerns.

Overall, Pilates is a wonderful choice for women to enhance their physical and mental well-being.

It’s never too late (or too soon in that case) to start.

Add some Pilates to your daily routine today and watch how your body and mind thank you for it later!