Pilates is all about movement.  Our bodies are designed to move which is why our skeleton is made of bones and flexible joints.  Joints move in different directions, for example the knee moves forward and back, where your hip moves in three planes – forward/back, side to side and turning inwards/outwards.  There are about 600 muscles in the human body and these attach to the bones via tendons to move the joints.  By moving all of your joints in the directions that they were intended, you will be working the associated muscles efficiently.
 
I like to use the example of a car that is never driven causing the engine to seize and the bodywork to rust.  If you let the same thing happen to your body, you will be left with weak muscles and this may affect joint health.  If you only do one type of exercise, such as walking or running, you will also be left with muscle imbalance leaving you prone to injury.
 
Functional mobility exercises are movement patterns that you rely on to carry out your everyday activities.  For example, we do lunges so you can pick something up from the floor, squats so you can get out of a chair and balance exercises so you can reach something from a top-shelf. 
 
Once you reach a certain age you may find that it is increasingly difficult to do even simple things like putting on your socks or your seatbelt and you realise that being able to perform movement patterns is essential to stay independent.
 
If I can give my clients the tools to move as freely in their 80s as they did in their 20s then my job is done. 
 
It’s never too late to start, but the sooner the better.