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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Pilates helps fight against aging


Pilates has become popular among elderly people hoping to fight back against the physical effects of aging such as postural distortion, stiffness and aches.

To experience some benefits of the system that is said to train skeletal muscles to maintain correct body posture and enable bodies to move fluidly, three people recently visited TR Pilates Studio in Takarazuka. Hisae Yamamoto, 62, of Joto Ward, Osaka; her sister Miyoko Kitaoka, 55, of Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture; and Mikio Kataoka, 65, of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, attended a beginners' session taught by certified instructor Nobuko Aso.


According to Aso, pilates adapts principles of medical and scientific knowledge such as anatomy. "[Pilates] shakes up muscles that support the skeleton and joints but aren't used often. It also develops the body's axis," Aso told the three students before beginning the session. "It aims to naturally correct postural distortion and misalignment caused by lifestyle habits." "What benefits does it have for elderly people?" Kataoka asked. Aso replied: "It stabilizes the pelvis and reinforces the ability to balance, which can prevent falls and injuries that happen more frequently as we get older."

The session began with the three students receiving pointers on breathing techniques, which are considered the foundation of pilates.
Following Aso's instructions, the three lay on their backs on mats with their knees bent. They practiced inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. "Breathe deeply from the lower part of your lungs, projecting toward your back with each breath," Aso told them. "When I exhaled, I felt like my stomach was tightening," Yamamoto said. "All right," Aso said. "Flex your muscles as you breathe. Your waist doesn't have many bones and is unstable. Imagine a corset around it."

Special equipment can help
While sustaining the breathing techniques, move in various ways while holding your body in a neutral position, which is its ideal anatomical placement, Aso told them. "Move your arms around as if you were drawing circles. Try to visualize your shoulder blades brushing against your ribs. You don't move shoulder blades very much in daily life," Aso said. She added: "Tighten the bottom of your back slightly to move up muscles under the pelvis. Make a gentle arc between your backbone, which is too often straight, and your pelvis."

After doing the exercise, Kitaoka said: "I don't do any of these movements on purpose in everyday life. I learned we can't attain the ideal posture without using every part of our bodies."

Then it was time for individual attention.
Each had the unique characteristics of their posture and skeletal structure analyzed by Aso and did exercises to help improve any problems. Yamamoto said she couldn't wear a bag from her right shoulder because it hurt. "The position of your left shoulder is higher than your right shoulder's. The arc from the backbone to the pelvis is missing," Aso said. As instructed, Yamamoto held a pole with springs using both hands. She lay on her back and started a sit-up exercise. "While breathing, try to visualize moving each section of your backbone, one at a time. Remember what that feels like. If you relax your shoulders, your shoulder blades will lower, and you can use your abdominal muscles," Aso said. "Because there's a special piece of equipment to support my movements, I can do it repeatedly without straining myself," Yamamoto said.

Kataoka said he wants to condition his body so he can play tennis without losing his balance. Aso said: "When you twist your body to hit the ball, don't rely only on moving your arms. If you move your shoulder blades along your body axis using your abdominal muscles, you can easily add power to your movements." Kataoka learned a little about how to do so by twisting his body in various unstable positions using the same equipment Yamamoto had used.

After the session, Kataoka said, "I want to keep training because it will help me stay fit while addressing the needs of an aging body." The two other students agreed with Kataoka.

Many pilates methods
Pilates was developed in Germany in the 1910s to help rehabilitate wounded soldiers. More recently, a variety of individualized training methods have become available. Aso is an instructor certified by Stott Pilates, which is headquartered in Canada. There are more than 500 types of exercises using a mat and specialized equipment, she said.

At B3 (pronounced "B cube"), one of Stott Pilates' locations, in Osaka, about 1,200 people take classes each month. About 40 percent of them are in their 50s and older. Many students wish to keep fit so they can stay active enough to go out. The studio handles their personal requests while taking age and physical condition into account. The studio also creates rehabilitation programs for people with injuries and diseases, according to Wataru Kamiizumi, who heads the studio.

Yomiuri Japan

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