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
Yomiuri Japan
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