The Long-Term Benefits of Reformer Pilates: Building a Sustainable Fitness Routine

Fitness isn’t just a hobby; it should be a habit. Studies show that staying active directly correlates with reducing someone’s risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and more. However, staying fit does not necessarily mean running a marathon every week. For many people, Reformer Pilates serves as a sustainable fitness routine that is enjoyable and accessible.

Reformer Pilates is one of the best options for building an exercise habit that sticks with a person for their entire life. The long-term benefits of Reformer Pilates can be felt for decades, and the exercises themselves are not limited to young, strong, or flexible people.

Here’s how Reformer Pilates can build a sustainable fitness routine that offers advantages for an entire lifetime.

Adjustability for a Lifetime

One of the biggest challenges people face when trying to get and stay healthy is finding an exercise or habit they enjoy and realizing that this activity becomes more challenging as they age. Not everyone can keep up with their physical hobbies over time, whether due to painful joints, less flexibility, weaker muscles, or something else.

Pilates helps to overcome this challenge by providing a nearly unmatched level of adjustability. Thanks to the springs on the reformer machine, any exercise can be customized to suit the participant’s specific needs.

For instance, if someone is recovering from knee surgery, the reformer can assist them during exercise rather than working against them. Similarly, those who want to increase the challenge can use that same reformer on different springs to create a workout that suits them. No one “outgrows” a reformer!

Benefits to Health-Span

Another advantage of Reformer Pilates is its correlation with long-term benefits even into old age. Research tracking those who continue Pilates into their later years has found that Reformer Pilates continues to provide health benefits regardless of age.

In other words, Pilates is tied to a higher quality of life and longevity. It decreases the overall risk of mortality and reduces the likelihood of developing some conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and stroke, that impact a person’s freedom to live life as they choose.

Maintaining Balance

Pilates is an exercise regimen that focuses on working the body’s muscles symmetrically. Participants do not favor just one side but improve the responsiveness of the stabilizer muscles on each side of the body. As a result, they improve their balance and overall sturdiness.

This is excellent news for anyone of any age, but it is particularly important for older folks. Scientists have found that aging adults who regularly participate in Pilates are less likely to fall, which is essential for elders. Studies repeatedly show that those who fall face a significantly increased risk of death within the next 30 days, and this effect can persist for a year or more after the fall event.

Supporting Posture

Just as Pilates improves balance by training muscles on each side of the body, this function also supports proper posture. When the muscles are strong and even, they exert pressure on the skeleton properly, which decreases imbalances and strain. Poor posture is particularly associated with weakened muscles in the back, hips, and especially the neck and shoulders, leading to chronic pain.

Creating Accessible Fitness

Another advantage of Reformer Pilates as a sustainable option is that it educates participants on how their body weight serves as the lynchpin for exercise.

There is no need to purchase a reformer for use at home because participants can either attend Pilates classes in person or use their body weight to continue their exercise regimens when they cannot make it to class. Reformer Pilates is accessible, even for those without the space or budget to have their own reformer.

Heart and Lung Health

Anyone who has tried Pilates knows it is about far more than stretching. It is also a great workout! Studies show that participating in Pilates for at least eight weeks can lead to an improvement in respiratory function of up to 34%. This increased lung health benefits the heart by reducing the strain of circulating oxygen, and it helps with stamina and endurance.

Try Reformer Pilates for a Lifestyle Change

Reformer Pilates is an accessible workout option suitable for anyone at any stage of life. Its long-term benefits make It a sustainable fitness routine that has plenty to offer no matter a participant’s ability level.