Pilates Reduces Mortality
A recent study looked at twenty-one alternative and complementary modalities to see how they affected all-cause mortality.
The study, titled Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and All-Cause Mortality Among US Adults: A National Prospective Cohort Study, examined 55,000 Americans. Of them, 43% participated in some form of alternative care, with chiropractic care being the most popular (25.6%). Other modalities included massage therapy (17%), yoga (10.1%), acupuncture (6.7%), Pilates (5.1%), and homeopathy (4.5%). They also looked at movement methods like Qi Gong and Thai Chi, as well as various diets like Vegetarian or Atkins (high protein and fat). Then they compared those practices with mortality data up to twelve years later.
The classical Pilates exercise Short Spine performed on the reformer. Joseph Pilates though a flexible spine was of utmost importance!
What they found was that of the 21 various modalities, only two reduced all-cause mortality. Yoga reduced the risk of death from any cause by 27% and Pilates reduced it by 36%.
Pilates was the most effective modality at reducing mortality!
Why is Pilates so effective at keeping you healthy? It involves active participation, engaging the nervous system and increasing self awareness, unlike the passive receiving of things like chiropractic care or massage therapy. It strengthens muscles and increases flexibility… and even more so than yoga, it challenges balance. Working on unstable equipment is fantastic balance training and one of the very common contributors to death are falls and the broken bones that result from them.
Now this study lumped all Pilates into one category. However, there are many different versions of Pilates from mat with online instruction, to group classes with 10+ participants, to contemporary Pilates, to classical Pilates, to private instruction with highly-trained teachers. I suspect that if all the participants were doing private, equipment Pilates instruction, these numbers could be even higher.
And remember that frequency matters. I recommend Pilates at least twice a week for the best results.
“The art of Contrology proves that the only real guide to your true age lies in... the degree of natural and normal flexility enjoyed by your spine throughout life. If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”
Joe literally created a piece of equipment called the Spine Corrector to encourage spinal flexibility.
Happily, Pilates doesn’t just help you live longer, it helps you live healthier and is enjoyable as well. Cheers to Joseph Pilates and his incredible method!