Avoid old age shrinking!

[MollyHuaCha]

Ok, so you opened this thread thinking I was going to give some answers...

The teens are telling me I’m actually getting shorter. No, it can’t be! I’m still only perimenopausal.

Any tips from anyone? Or once beyond normal child-rearing age, are women destined to just, well... shrink?

llijk - I'm not allowed to run or do body pump. I do lift light weights but Pilates really hammers my core more than anything I've found! No social side, and I bloody hate yoga classes

Llijjk because I'm mid 50s. Running ends in injury after a few weeks, I hate swimming and can't play racquet sports because of CPD. Spin classes would bore me rigid. Any other suggestions?

if you can't think of anything else, does that mean convenience & habit are among your reasons? Which would be fair enough.

TBF I love spin and I also like aerial hoop and pole and weights
But I had a massive spinal op 5 months ago and my surgeon is adamant about Pilates

No.

llijk - honestly Pilates is completely different to yoga. Yoga bores me, Pilates has me going "how many more reps? How long? What is this weird ab muscle that hurts? How the hell is she doing that and smiling?"
I've noticed if I go in feeling stiff and with back pain, I come out without it, so that's what motivates me

I've tried Body Pump but I have a bad shoulder and it aggravates it so I was advised to stop.

I used to love swimming but I have annoying knees which dislocate easily in the water so that's now out much to my annoyance.

The gym bores me. I need a class to stay focused. I do love body balance as well which is a mixture of yoga, tai chi and Pilates.

I guess the yoga is so gentle on my annoyingly hypermobile body that's why I always go.

It's about balance. So many people get injured through running and HIIT classes. Pilates is about form and using those muscles you don't get to in other exercise forms.
It's not one or the other. Running isn't great for me, I spend the next few days stretching out all the tightness it has caused. I do Pilates about 3 times a week, a strength trx training thing once a week and run once a week.

There is a lot of, in the running world, a kind of encouragement & even presumption towards further & harder. I don't like that much, either. Wouldn't suit me, I'd get injured.

Pilates looks exactly like Yoga to me. Indoors. Not moving much. Holding weird poses on a matt on the ground. What heart rates do you guys achieve when doing Pilates? There are supposed to be cardio versions.

Pass, I don't do it for HR. I have to do it for my back

Lots of movement in Pilates! It's yoga where you hold the poses. They are very different.
It's not cardio. Though I swear lots and it is very hard. I run for cardio or spin. Pilates builds muscles and core strength. It has given me a better body at 41 than I had at 20. Running doesn't do that. You need a balanced routine.

Ha sweat lots not swear, though there can be lots of swearing in class as it is hard work....

Please link to video of Pilates that shows lots of movement, and not lots of lying on matts.

I'm not sure what your point is? You do lots of movement on a mat, some of it lying down, some sitting, some of it on your front, loads of core work, planking, side lying work. No it's not cardio, so no jumping around. Fitness is about mixing cardio and strength/flexibility work.

If you've been to a class and hated it fine, it's not for everyone (though everyone would benefit) but you don't sound like you know what it is?

I'm just curious why folk are so adament that yoga & Pilates are wonderful, why they are popular Obviously I "don't get it". I'd delete all my posts on this thread now if I could. Will hide now.

I guess it's because of the results they get doing yoga/Pilates. It really isn't lying around on a mat, you work very hard but they also help with back pain, posture, flexibility and injury prevention. Lots of sports men/women now supplement their training with Pilates.

I guess it's like anything! Some people rave about body pump, I hate it. Or Zumba
I don't like yoga but Pilates I tolerate. Surgeon has told me to build a corset of steel out of my abs and I can feel it working. A lot of the stuff I used to do, I can't do so I have to find new things

Yoga is more stretching, holding, relaxation
Pilates is finding your deep ab muscles and working them through tiny movements, and you do reps of things which you don't tend to in yoga, it's more "hold for 5"

We use these circle things

Keeping an upright posture is possibly the most important thing. It’s quite easy to let yourself slump and then find it harder to maintain a straight back. Looking at DH here! But if you think you are losing a lot of height, you need a bone density scan or similar.

"So why Pilates/Yoga and not running, swimming or weights or Body Pump, etc."

Because Pilates works muscles that those exercises don't. There seems to be a lot of ignorance about Pilates on this thread. It is nothing like yoga in practice. You work your core muscles, and after and hour of it you feel like you have had a proper work out. It isn't cardio, but strengthens your muscles. If you don't feel like you have had a workout you aren't doing it properly.

I also do body conditioning and HIIT classes. I'm nearly 59 and am still the same height I always was, and my feet haven't grown bigger. If anything they are half a size smaller - unless they have "vanity sizing" in shoes as well these days.

This is all the stretches you do during an Ashtanga yoga class. It stretches you out all over. It is fairly dynamic also but not cardio. But I just love it and get a great feeling of well being from doing it.

Thought being more petite was a good thing

Height loss is almost inevitable, but watch out for more sinister causes.

www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/preventive-care/article/why-you-shrink-you-age

Starting Alexander Technique classes soon.....