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The Pilates Senior Experience

Written by Georgina Jackson

Sunday, 15 October 2006

Senior citizens, as Kathy so eloquently points out, have a special set of needs and concerns. Arthritis, osteoporosis, joint stiffness, balance and flexibility are all daily life issues supported fabulously by regular pilates mat work. Recently captured comments from Kathy, Rae and Asja at the Palisades Fitness Center tell their own story in their own words.

Asja and Kathy were two of the very first students to join the morning Pilates Class, about 12-13 months ago. While the class wasn't designed specifically for seniors, the pace of the Beginner Mat class, at the Palisades Fitness Center , North Bergen, NJ was certainly supportive of new students and active seniors such as the three featured above.

In the beginning, Asja and I communicated from the floor with the use of our eyes, my touch and visual cues, as my command of Russian, (Spanish or French, for that matter!) is pretty damn null and void! She stuck in and continued to come faithfully each week, making us both proud of each other's efforts.

Kathy and Rae are two that will come running down the hall, sometimes one second shy of the hour, with mats in tow yelling,

"Don't shut the door! Don't shut the door!"

"Don't shut the door! Don't shut the door!" Their smiles, welcome spirits, energy and commitment to the work frequently give me the inspiration to continue teaching in a way that supports their desire to be a part of the class.

I am proud of our work together and delighted to have each of you as part of the class and ThePilatesClub!