Is Pilates Good for Older People?

rachellawrencepila
Mar 16
3 min read

This is a question I’m often asked — and if I’m being honest, I have to take a long deep breath, smile, and remind myself that the world has yet to catch up with the fact that being older is nothing to be scared of — and age doesn’t have to restrict you from trying new things.

You would be hard pressed to find a similar blog post asking whether exercise or Pilates is suitable for young women or young men. I don’t believe age should ever hold you back. Especially when it comes to movement. If anything, moving becomes even more important as you get older.

And yet I hear it all too often.

“I’m 65… am I too old to start?”

“I’m 70… is it too late for me?”

There is this idea that fitness belongs to the young. That once you reach a certain age, you are meant to quietly step aside.

But most of our lives are spent being older, not younger. If we are lucky. So why wouldn’t we look after ourselves in those years?

Pilates has always been, for me, a way of reconnecting mind and body. It builds strength from within, physically and mentally.

There can be a quiet invisibility in midlife and beyond. You don’t often see people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s represented in fitness spaces or in the media. But that does not mean we disappear.

We are still here.

We still care how we feel.

We still care how we look.

We still want to feel strong, capable and confident.

Pilates helps you maintain strength around the hips, knees and shoulders. It improves balance and posture. It is low impact, which means it can be adapted for arthritis, stiffness, aches and pains, or recovery from illness or injury.

I have people in their 60s, 70s and 80s practising regularly. Some are rebuilding their fitness after illness. Some are managing osteoarthritis. Some have picked up chronic aches and pains over the years. Some simply want to stay flexible and mobile. Men and women alike.

If you’d like to try a gentle session at home, you can follow along with this Standing Pilates session for adults over 60 focused on mobility and strength:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBSeuqCUjxw

I also have sessions designed for different age groups, including Beginner Pilates for Women Over 50.

And Standing Pilates Strength with Optional Weights for Women Over 40:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvOvJIvLuw

Over the years, through teaching and through my own journey, I have learned what works well as we get older: slower progressions, clear coaching cues and demonstrations, and different options for painful wrists, knees or backs. Gentle standing sessions for those who prefer not to get down to the floor. Stronger sessions for those who want more of a challenge.

Pilates is not about pushing through pain. It is about doing intelligent, consistent movement.

Exercise at this stage of life is about health and independence. But yes, it is also about feeling good in your own skin. Standing taller. Moving with confidence. Seeing your body respond positively.