Why Pilates?
You may have been thinking about doing Pilates but you're not sure about the benefits. After all it's more expensive than most exercise classes available to you. Here are REASONS TO DO PILATES to help you make a good decision:
Improve Your Game
Whether that's Golf, Football, Tennis or any sport you enjoy. When your back doesn't hurt after a round of golf. When you don't need pain killers because of your big serve when you play Tennis. Good Reasons To Do Pilates. You'll learn how to engage and control your deep abdominal muscles to support your low back.
Move More Easily
We need to be able to move with ease and with quick reactions when necessary. Keeping our ability to enjoy our sports for as long as we want. As we age to be able get out of a chair smoothly or take a walk without pain. Regular Pilates practice will allow you to keep your mobility and independence. A Great Reason To Do Pilates. https://nualacoombspilates.com/pilates/age-fast-age-slow
Quality Breathing
When your ability to take a deep breath is difficult it can affect many areas of life. Young or older the importance of breathing easily and effortlessly all the time is the basis of health. Pilates teaches a full breathing pattern throughout the class. Having this ability will allow you to take it into your daily life. You'll see improvement in your energy, you'll concentrate better and sleep will improve. Just a few Reasons To Do Pilates.
No special Kit Needed
Unlike most exercise programmes you don't need any special kit. No particular shoes are needed. Classes are bare-foot or with socks as Pilates is low impact. You just need to wear clothes that allow you to move freely without restrictions.
Everyone Is Welcome
There's no age limit for Pilates everyone is welcome. If you have particular health issues a professional Pilates teacher will be able to adapt the exercises for you. Age is no barrier either from young to not so young the exercises can be changed to help everyone get the full benefit.
https://www.nualacoombspilates.com/healthy ageing
So there you have it - there are many more REASONS TO DO PILATES these are just a handful to set you thinking.
Any Questions just email - Nuala@nualacoombspilates.com I'm here to help.
Healthy Ageing - it's up to you
It comes to us all - each year as we celebrate our birthday we start to notice changes occurring. It could be our first grey hair letting us know something is going on. Healthy Ageing is in our hands. Assuming we have no underlying health issues, our attitude, mindset, diet, exercise regime and sleep pattern all play a significant part in our process.
You may accept you're older but don't consider yourself old. You find some things not so easy as they used to be but, don't fall into the trap of thinking it's because of your age - growing older doesn't mean you're going to lose your independence or become less mobile. That stiffness you feel bending down to pick something up, or getting out of a chair may have more to do with you being less active than a direct result of your age. Make Healthy Ageing your priority.
LOWERING EXPECTATIONS
As we age it's easy to lower expectations regarding movement and exercise, becoming more sedentary due to health reasons, pain or just feeling age and slowing down are the natural way of things. I'm here to tell you it's never too late to start moving. The saying "use it or lose it" springs to mind.https://nualacoombspilates.com/pilates/age-fast-age-slow
HEALTHY BODY HEALTHY MIND
My book with the same name will help you understand what's going on in our body as we age - with some good information you can stay healthy, vibrant, productive, active and energised. it's your choice.
It's available from Amazon in Kindle format and paperback - https://amzn.eu/d/ebfaLeF
In Conclusion
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
Healthy Ageing means you know you can choose to do whatever you want - start a healthy lifestyle, run that marathon, or start a business - as long as you're healthy, life has no bounds. I didn't open my Pilates studio in La Garde Freinet until I was 62. Of course I wasn't new to business, but I didn't give my age consideration when I decided the village needed a Pilates studio and I was proved right.
History
Parkinson’s Disease is referred to in the ancient Indian medical system Ayurveda in the name Kampavata. It’s also mentioned in the oldest Chinese medical texts as well as those of the ancient Greeks, Romans and the Old and New Testaments. So it’s clear the disease has been with us for many years. It's now considered the fastest growing neurological disease. Pilates for Parkinson's Disease time has come.
However it was not until 1817 a detailed medical essay was published on the subject by a London Doctor James Parkinson. His intention was to encourage study of the condition to help those with what he termed the “Shaking Palsy”. Sixty years after the publication a French neurologist named Jean Martin Charcot truly recognised the importance of Parkinson’s work and named the disease after him. https://www.apdaparkinson.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Who-was-James-Parkinson.pdf
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. Simply put, it causes problems in the brain that get worse over time. People with Parkinson’s have depleted levels of the hormone Dopamine. It’s not clearly understood why this occurs, but researchers think it’s a combination of genetic and environmental factors causing Dopamine producing cells to die.
Dopamine is a chemical messenger transmitting signals to the part of the brain that controls coordinated movement. When these cells die other movement control centres become affected. It’s this disturbance that causes the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Pilates for Parkinson's Disease can help delay some of the symptoms of Parkinson's from progressing as fast as they might.
Symptoms
Initially, symptoms will be mild, progressing over time. Common Symptoms:
- Tremor in a resting limb
Slowness of movement
Rigidity
Poor balance and coordination
Small handwriting
Shuffling walk
Stiff facial muscles
Muffled Speech
Depression
Taking part in Pilates For Parkinson's classes can help alleviate some of these.
There can also be various other physical, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms ranging from constipation to anxiety.
Treatment
There's no one size fits all medication -each patient is different - there symptoms can vary drastically. Drugs may target Motor symptoms as well as non-Motor symptoms. Medications dealingl with Motor symptoms target tremor, stiffness and slowness while the non-Motor drugs deal with depression, sleep disturbance and anxiety.
There's the possibility of surgery for those whose symptoms are not responding to medication - Deep Brain Stimulation can relieve symptoms. There's also the option for Stem Cell treatment.
Although currently no cure is available, research is moving forward and medications, treatments both physical and psychological are making progress. https://www.healthline.com/health/parkinsons/stem-cell-therapy-for-parkinsons#about-stem-cell-therapy
Pilates & Parkinson's
Exercise is accepted to be essential for those suffering the affects of Parkinson’s Disease. Although at present all treatments and therapies can only slow the progression of the symptoms, it’s clear the mind and body connection of Pilates can offer a positive, proactive environment for those affected.
BENEFITS
A Pilates programme offers Spinal mobility, Extension, Flexion, Lateral Flexion and Rotation, at the same time Stabilisation of the upper and lower body to help with balance and coordination. Hip mobility, Rotation, Adduction and Abduction relative to gait. https://nualacoombspilates.com/pilates-benefits-for-you
Professional Equipment
In addition, particularly in a one to one setting the Pilates teacher can offer a calm, safe place for the client to experiment with ranges of motion using the professional Pilates equipment to assist and create support as well as challenge.
The improved strength, mobility, flexibility, coordination and balance will create a confidence in the client that may have been diminishing as the symptoms become more noticeable.
Client's Responsibility
Benefits from a Pilates programme will only become apparent when the client understands the necessity to practice daily, putting the knowledge they're acquiring about their personal physicality, limitations and development to use in their daily activities. Once or twice a-week visit to the Pilates studio will not be enough to ensure lasting results.
Teacher's Responsibility
The Pilates teacher needs to be of the highest professional standard to help this client. A teacher who can recognise the changes occurring as well as how each visit can present a different challenge both to them and their client, whether that’s physical or emotional.
In Conclusion
Without a doubt Pilates is an intelligent choice for those dealing with Parkinson’s disease, in combination with their physician, neurologist, physiotherapist or osteopath, the Pilates teacher is an integral part of the team.
More Information
If you need more information click think link: https://www.michaeljfox.org/