Pilates after 50

Most of our clients are over 50. A few are over 80. The ones who have been with us longest will tell you the work is quiet, exact, and that they move through their week differently because of it.

We teach private, one-on-one classical Pilates at 717 N Highland Ave, near West Hollywood. Sessions are 55 minutes, and you have one teacher and the whole studio to yourself. The apparatus does a lot of the supporting so the body can do the learning.

Why this method suits a body with some years on it

Joseph Pilates built his apparatus for people who were not athletes. The springs on the Reformer and the Cadillac give the body something to push against and something to be held by, which is exactly what a hip or a shoulder wants at 65. The order of the work is set and the pace is yours. The teacher is never more than an arm's length away.

The abilities that matter most with every decade are leg strength, balance, walking speed and the ease of getting up from a chair or the floor. Classical Pilates trains all four without ever calling them that.

What a session is like

The first session begins with how you breathe and how you stand. Then footwork on the Reformer, which is a supported squat that tells your teacher a great deal. From there the hour is built around what your body shows, not a template. You will not be asked to do anything you have not been shown how to do, and you can stop at any point.

The Movement Longevity Assessment

If you would like real numbers before you commit to anything, we offer a private one-hour assessment that measures grip strength, balance, walking speed and how you rise from a chair against published reference ranges for your age. It is $150 and credited toward your first package.

What clients notice

Richard writes that we helped him define a movement process that fully meets his needs as he ages. Jessica writes that she thought aches and losing strength were just part of aging, and that it changed the way she thinks about it completely. Both reviews are on our reviews page, quoted in full.

How to start