I live up in Maine and most of my clients are 60+. I would love to see a class or two geared towards a group with osteopenia or osteoporosis. I'm always looking for more ideas. Your classes are all amazing and are a fantastic resource for me. Thank you soooo much!

Robin thank you for this input! On the weekend of Aug 28 and 29, my dear friend Rebekah Rotstein is flying out from NY to teach a Pilates for Buff Bones class for PA. She teaches workshops all over on osteoporosis and is featured on CNN frequently. Look for her class to be up early September!

Hi Robin, I just taught a class for a group of my regular students....50-60 yr old gals and we foucssed mainly on standing....balance, quad and hip extensor work, back extensor strength etc. We were all working really hard and getting a good sweat going. It should be posted in a couple of days. I followed it with a short shoulder girdle and upper body section using therabands. Many of the women in class has wrist issues so I wanted to give some exercises that would empower them, not discourage them. Let me know what you think if you take a look at it.

Amy

Thank you Kristi...I loved Rebekah's classes and found them extremely helpful. I unfortunately was not able to locate Amy's class she mentioned. Any chance you know the date? I look forward to more classes geared towards clients with Osteoporosis...soooo helpful.

Hi Robin, I'm not sure which class Amy is referring to so I'll ask and get back to you asap!

I am a new Pilates teacher (with a broad body-mind based movement background) in my 50's. I wonder about marketing to older clients, not that I just want to teach this population but I feel that older might resonate more with an older instructor, that I might have more empathy for my age group.....any comments, feedback.....also, I don't have the flat belly of a young Pilates student, and could use to lose 20 pounds.....still, to teach....it feels like a bit of a non-topic topic, but really, it is not the same teaching methodology. I wonder if anyone has really developed the repertoire for the aging population with its associated issues.

Hi Centa
I came to Pilates after a traumatic second birth. Needless to say I do not have the body of a fit young gorgeous girlie anymore but I can tell you my body and brain no longer feel 100!
Is this not the main priority to be as old as you feel!
Anyway I too am teaching the mature clients and in all honesty I have to say take as many classes from PA as you can and with each new exercise that you like break it down to take out forward flexion and all other contra indications.
I have also noticed that because of the age of clients some do not want to be singled out as doing something wrong so I tend to stay as simple as possible and build on exercises. It does take quite a while.
I do a lot of work with the thera band and also try very hard to get each client to have one private class a month so as they can have a short workout.
If you are passionate about what you do your clients will follow.
Study Rebekahs workouts she is amazing.

Hi Michaela,
I think the Pilates bias has become the younger, flat bellied set, regardless whether they have core awareness or not, in some cases. I'd like to be a force in bringing marketing to an older clientele as I think it the beenfits are understated and not ll young people want to deal with an older body, they hve no referent point for it. I'm also afraid of limiting myself as I am just starting on this teaching path. There aren't a lot of models for being alive in ones body past the age of 50. And I have lots of self consciousness about my own body nowhere having the flat belly of perfection, and yet I have experience.

Hi I missed your reply apologies.
It is true that Pilates seems biased towards the fit young model but that is mainly because of its history. It was used by Martha Graham and her students for rehabilitation .
It is something that dancers love and need.
What it gives them it can give to us oldies too!
Good luck with it all. It is a lifelong passion!

Hi Ladies, I agree that most Pilates is geared towards the young, flat bellied female. However, the reality is that we are all getting older and it is up to us to promote the wonderful benefits of Pilates for this aging process. As a fifty three year old mother of three grown daughters, I have to say that my body and mind have never been better and I attribute this to Pilates. As an ex professional dancer and fitness fanatic, I now have a body that is much stronger and healthier than at any other time in my life. I have tuned into the aging process and embraced it for all its wisdom and have tried to design my Pilates programs to truly address the needs of this population. I have three classes up on Pilates Anytime and I hope you have a chance to watch them. I believe that we CAN get better with age and no matter what the physical body looks like, it is more about how we "feel". And I feel great!