Ditch the couch, not your youth: Reformer Pilates is the anti-aging secret

Reformer Pilates might have seemed like just another fitness fad when it first arrived in Australia 20 years ago. Today, however, it’s a staple in the fitness routines of many Australians.

Why has it gained such popularity? Simply put, Reformer Pilates is a safe, effective form of exercise that enhances both core stability and muscle strength simultaneously.

The beauty of Reformer Pilates lies in its inclusivity. Whether you’re a young professional aiming to stay toned and fit or a baby boomer defying the effects of ageing, Reformer Pilates offers a pathway to exercise, strength, and overall well-being.

Understanding Reformer Pilates

This dynamic workout utilises the uniquely designed Pilates reformer—a horizontal frame with a sliding carriage and adjustable springs. Joseph Pilates invented this ingenious apparatus, and it has evolved over time, becoming a staple in modern fitness.

What makes the reformer so special?

Whether Joseph Pilates cleverly worked it out over time or by sheer dumb luck, the 3 principles of how the Pilates Reformer works, perfectly aligns with how our bodies and brains naturally learn and adapt. Here’s why:

1. Task-oriented movements: Your brain learns tasks, not just movements. When you perform exercises on the Pilates Reformer, you push or pull actions. This helps your brain create a better “picture” of the exercise, leading to faster and more complete learning.
2. Closed chain exercises: The pushing and pulling actions on the Pilates reformer engage muscles on both sides of each joint and across multiple joints. This improves stability and provides a wealth of information to the brain on how to perform the exercise effectively.
3. Controlled balance challenges: The reformer’s carriage moves in a single direction, allowing for controlled balance challenges. This targeted approach improves balance without overwhelming the nervous system, resulting in quicker gains in control and stability.

Benefits of Reformer Pilates

One of the greatest benefits of Reformer Pilates is the enhancement of your stabilising muscle groups, or “core stability.” Around each of your joints, you have two types of muscle groups:

• Power muscles: These muscles enable movement and resist loads.
• Stabilising muscles: These smaller muscles, close to the joint, control the normal “glide” of your joints, allowing power muscles to function without damaging the joints.

When these two muscle groups are out of balance, your body is more prone to injury. Reformer Pilates helps restore this balance, improving core stability in a safe and controlled environment.

Why is Reformer Pilates specifically beneficial for those aged 40 and above?

Reformer Pilates is particularly advantageous for people over 40 because it builds muscle in a safe and controlled environment. Increased muscle mass is one of the few proven “fountains of youth,” protecting both your health and brain function as you age. Here’s how:

• Good strength leads to a better, more active life: Many people lack the strength needed for everyday tasks, like walking, gardening, or even lifting a child. This can result in fatigue and increased risk of injury. Regular strength training through Reformer Pilates reverses this trend, empowering you to live your best life.
• Improved glucose metabolism and diabetes management: Improved muscle mass from strengthening exercises is a major factor in the battle against insulin resistance, leading to diabetes. Muscle mass is a primary site for GLUT4 insulin transporters, which regulate blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
• Improved brain health: Physical exercise has consistently been proven to slow down and reverse the loss of cognitive function as you get older. It protects the brain by enhancing your cardiovascular system.

Research indicates that individuals with higher grip strength, which serves as a proxy for overall body strength, perform better in memory tests and reaction time assessments. Moreover, studies have shown that regular weightlifting significantly enhances cognitive functions such as attention. This cognitive boost is attributed to the release of various chemicals in the brain, including Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which supports the health of nerves and brain cells.

Getting started with Reformer Pilates

Where should your Reformer Pilates programme start? A successful introduction to Reformer Pilates begins with a comprehensive assessment of your needs, strengths, weaknesses, and any potential issues that may impact your programme. Clinical Pilates, led by a physiotherapist, accredited exercise physiologist, or osteopath, offers the most personalised and effective programmes.

What to expect in your first class: Based on your assessment, your initial class will involve the instructor guiding you through carefully selected exercises. These exercises are designed to help you learn proper technique and become familiar with the movements. This will not be the hardest workout that you’ve ever done, but it lays the foundations for good technique and will allow you to progress faster in the long term.

Safety tips and precautions: Providing feedback during exercises and sessions is crucial. While the instructor designs your programme with a plan in mind, your input ensures it aligns with your needs. If you’re unsure about any exercises, your instructor will ensure you understand the purpose of each exercise and make adjustments as needed.

Where to from here?

The next step is finding a Reformer Pilates studio that meets your specific needs and goals. The best approach is to try a studio that has been recommended to you and has proven results. However, if you don’t know where to start, look for the following:

• The programme starts with a thorough assessment.
• It is ideally run by a health professional such as a physiotherapist, accredited exercise physiologist, or osteopath.
• The photos of the people on the website/social media posts look like people like you. What does this mean? If you are in your 40s and haven’t exercised for a while, make sure that the other people they look after are similar to you, so that you know they will be able to handle your specific issues and needs.

References:

Lawson, G (2021) Don’t act your age!  New Scientist, 20th March 2021, No. 3326.  P36-40

Thomson, H.  Discover your Inner Strength.  The Scientist.  18th April 2020, No 3278, p. 34-38