When it comes to seniors working out or exercising, it can get confusing as to which exercise is better for overall health. But hopefully, I’m here to clear up the confusion and get you seniors up and moving in the right direction. Even if you are not a senior, these exercises can benefit anyone at any age. You might even know a senior who has to start exercising either after an injury or just in general for overall health reasons.
What is Yoga?
So the practice of yoga started around 3,000 years ago in India as a way of connecting the mind, body, and spirit and it focuses on five beliefs. Those five beliefs are
- Proper Relaxation
- Exercise
- Breathing
- Diet
- Positive thinking and Meditation
Some yoga postures require focus and concentration that’s combined with physical activity, mindfulness, and quiet to keep you focused and leave the distractions of the day behind you. Yoga can also include philosophy, science, and an ethical way of living. Over the years many different styles of yoga have developed but they all have the same basic focus and foundation. Yoga has been shown and proven time and time again to help people by;
- Improved balance, strength and flexibility
- Back pain relief
- Easing arthritis symptoms
- Improved heart health
- Boosting energy and mood
- Managing stress
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a specific physical activity or “system” developed by German anatomist Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. It uses very specific targeted exercises to improve strength, flexibility and posture, with a focus on increasing your core strength. Pilates is a practice that requires small movements focusing on various areas of the body and must be done regularly to provide benefit. Practicing Pilates exercises may:
- Boost muscle strength and endurance
- Increase flexibility
- Improve balance and posture
- Result in decreased joint pain
Pilates is very versatile it can be done on a mat or using specialized equipment of springs, levers, or your own body weight to provide resistance.
Which is better? When it comes to choosing between Pilates or yoga for seniors, they can actually work together. For example, strengthening your core in Pilates will give you better balance in yoga. And while increasing your flexibility in yoga will allow you to move bigger and deeper in Pilates. Yoga and Pilates also have other things in common such as;
- Mat Pilates, like yoga, can be done with little equipment.
- They focus on using the breath properly during exercise and emphasize breathing deep into the belly. These breathing techniques can help to combat feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Both require mental focus and can help reduce stress.
- Each can be tailored to different fitness levels.
- Both can increase your range of motion and functional movement.
- Each engages your core muscles for better control and stability, which can help reduce the risk of falling.
So as you can see there really isn’t one that’s any better than the other. They both are great exercises and great systems that can work together to help you achieve your goals. I recommend starting out with yoga and start out slow to make sure you are doing the movements properly and working on your breathing and focus and then move on to Pilates. Some of the equipment used in Pilates is only available at doctors’ offices or physical therapists offices and some seniors might not have access to this equipment. It depends on what your doctor recommends and if he/she can get you into see a physical therapist (or if you need one or not). Also, that generally requires a fee as well, so that is something to think about. There are YouTube videos that are available that show exactly how to do these exercises in the comfort of your own home for free!
I had knee surgery awhile back and my doctor recommended Pilates to strengthen my knee and my leg as well as to help me with my flexibility and range of motion. I will honestly say it definitely helped and I wish I could have kept it up after my sessions ended. I used some of the specialized equipment at my therapist office and it was a huge benefit for me at the time. So that is just my experience with Pilates and the equipment, but I sometimes will do Yoga at home to stretch out and help my focus and breathing.
Just a tip: In my opinion, the best overall Yoga videos on You Tube is Yoga with Adriene! She has the most videos with every topic you can think of (most of the time with her dog) and she is very good at explaining the movements, breathing, and posture. I highly recommend watching the videos and giving her a try.
I hope this helps and doesn’t make you more confused. The bottom line is that they both are highly recommended and have similarities, and a lot of the same health benefits that can work for seniors and anybody. I would give both a try and see which one works best for you. As always, check with your doctor before starting any exercises or workouts.
Thank you for reading my Blog and I hope this helps in your fitness journey, and adds a little something extra in your fitness toolbox. Stay safe, healthy and happy.
Take Care,
Darren
Harmony Shift 