Is Pilates Good for Men over 50?

The answer is yes!

Pilates is great for men of all ages because they tend to gravitate toward exercise and sports that lead to imbalances and tightness.

For instance, men are better at weight training so they tend to do more of that than women do. Or they might run or bike exclusively which overuses the quads, and can lead to muscle imbalances and tight hamstrings hip-flexors and postural problems.

When you don’t cross-train enough or don’t do a variety of different movement you are in danger of repetitive strain injuries.

Pilates is great for men because Pilates is a full body conditioning workout. Pilates includes stretching, range of motion along with light resistance training for the entire body.

Pilates helps men stay flexible as they age

Men often have less flexibility than women because of genetic makeup as well as the types of sports and exercises they do.

As we get older, we tend to tighten up and get into habits and patterns with our muscles that cause aches and pains and misalignments that can cause trouble for our joints.

As we age, we find that exercise routines that used to work well start to cause injuries and soreness. Pilates can help you keep doing the things you love to do longer.

Pilates is great cross training for sports

Pilates is a great way to cross train for men who love to golf, weights, swimming, running, biking, baseball, football and other team sports. And for men over 50, it is the perfect way to work on your balance, and coordination.

If you have not been exercising regularly and you want to get started when you’re older, Pilates isa great way to get into shape for other forms of exercise.

Pilates at the beginner level using the reformer and other equipment helps your posture improve so you don’t feel stiff from sitting at a desk job or driving a lot.

Below is a video of John Garey. I used to work at his studio in Long Beach, CA. It was a Stott Certification Center where I got my advanced certifications in all the equipment. Now he has an online program.

People tend to gravitate toward things they already do well

One of the problems with Pilates and yoga is that women gravitate toward these classes and often men don’t feel comfortable going. This isn’t always the case. Some studios cater to men and women equally and have a lot of men in their groups.

But for the most part men make up a minority of Pilates group classes. I have been teaching 12-person groups at Club Pilates in California for several years and never get more than 2 or 3 out of 12 who are men. I often will teach for 4 hours without a single man showing up for groups at Club Pilates.

The men who do come love it and benefit from it. I have had men of all ages and sizes enjoy coming to regular classes two to five times a week.

Some Pilates studios have more male students than others

At Reach Pilates, a small studio in Palo Alto that recently closed, I taught small group classes of 5 or fewer for two years. The ratio of men was larger there. Many classes of 5 had 2 or 3 men in them though as always with Pilates many classes were filled with only women.

At Reach Pilates there was a male teacher that people loved. He is super muscular and lifts weights. Men flocked to his classes as well as to the female teachers. I think it made a difference having a male teacher who was there 5 days a week teaching 3 or 4 classes per day.

Why do women flock to Pilates and men do not?

Just like all sports and activities people often will go to something that they know they will find like individuals and that they are already pretty good at or know they can excel at.

Women tend to be more naturally flexible, so they feel comfortable going to yoga, Pilates, or dance classes. While women are not as naturally strong as men and often don’t feel as comfortable in the weight room or at a class like boxing etc. Though more and more women are infiltrating weight rooms, boxing gyms and other traditionally male places of exercise.

Men have traditionally done exercises in a gym and easily excel at weight lifting, running and biking. So, they tend to stick with those things that are traditionally male when it comes to exercise.

Until the 1900s or so many countries didn’t even offer girls and women opportunities to play competitive sports. Their only outlet for exercise was walking or dance class or light calisthenics. And for males it was considered effeminate to take dance or Pilates.

Men can definitely find Pilates studios that are welcoming

Some traditional pilates equipment is built for smaller framed people and shorter people. But many companies have started making reformers that have larger dimensions and are a little wider and longer than the original machines built by Joseph Pilates back in the early twentieth century.

Some Pilates-inspired studios cater to men more than women

 For instance, Lagree is a company started by a weight lifter. The creator has designed larger machines with heavier springs that will challenge a fit male more than the original equipment. The exercises are not classical Pilates at all though the company was inspired by the original Pilates equipment and exercises.

Stott Pilates reformers also have a wider longer dimension than traditional reformers.  Many companies have home versions of the equipment that you can buy.

The FitFormer that Pilates ProWorks came out with is also a lot larger and has heavier springs than the classical reformer. And the exercises are slightly more intense even at the beginning level, They also have home versions of their equipment. I worked for Pilates ProWorks in San Francisco and Oakland and found it fun and challenging.

How to find a man-friendly Pilates studio

Most studios are dying to have more men take part so you will most likely be enthusiastically welcomed whatever studio you visit!

The best thing to do if you’re a man looking for a Pilates class is to try out different studios in your area and see what the vibe is like. Are there other men in class? Are there any male teachers? Do you feel comfortable and welcome? Do they offer the right level of class for you?

Or build your own home studio

If you prefer to work out on your own schedule or you live in an area that doesn’t have a lot of Pilates studios close by you can set up your own pilates studio at home with a mat and small equipment.

Or if you have a little more room to devote to an exercise space, the Pilates Chair is a great way to challenge yourself and work on balance, strength, coordination and flexibility.

If you have a fair amount of space, the Pilates reformer is a great choice and gives you a lot of variety of workouts you can do. The reformer usually has a jumpboard attachment that can help you work on cardio as well. The great thing about the jumpboard is that it allows you to do low impact cardio as well as traditional pilates workouts.

There is also a wall unit attachment you can get for many reformers when you buy the equipment or, depending on the brand you can add on later as you progress.

The other option is to get a Pilates spring board which attaches to the wall and has springs for standing, seated and lying down exercises using arm and leg springs.

A home studio can be a great option if you have a busy schedule or don’t have a decent Pilates studio nearby. There are many online programs for pilates you can try.

And if you live in Silicon Valley CA, I do home Pilates training in your studio and can even help you decide on which equipment you want to get.

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