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Simply put for a woman who doesn’t look near the age of 70, Nancy spends most of her workout time doing pilates at NOA Fitness & Pilates Studio in Saratoga Springs.
The workouts have paid off. The Clifton Park resident only sees a doctor for her annual and she is on no medication—something she credits in part to her fitness classes.
“I’m a firm believer in pilates,” Nancy said. “I tried it maybe five years ago, starting with mat classes, and I just like it. It makes me feel good. I believe in it.”
Nancy has been working out in one way or another her whole life. She varies her pilates workouts, whether it’s incorporating a ball, the reformer or a roll-out mat. She also walks and does yoga.
“I’d like to see more people [in the fitness studio] up to 70,” NOA Fitness & Pilates Studio fitness trainer Diane Seguin said. “I’d like to see more people not be scared. I think a lot of women past the age of 30 tell me, ‘Oh, I’m too old for that now,’ and I think it’s a frame of mind. Whether you’re a woman or a man, you’re surrounded by people who are positive. You are going into a positive atmosphere.”
While Diane said the majority of her diehard clients tend to be in the 40-55 range, there is still room for fitness enthusiasts in the older age groups. For those who are above 55, it’s usually those who have been staying fit their whole lives and have formed the healthy habit, as opposed to someone who’s doing it for the first time.
It’s either one or the other. There’s no in between.
No matter what age you are, it’s never too late to get in the gym. Whether it’s for a life-changing experience, or the want to be in a positive environment, you are never too old to start.
“When you get past 50 and you don’t exercise even a month, you’re body has aged a lot,” Diane said. “People just have to make a choice. Do you want to live up to your 90s and be healthy and active? No matter what your level is, there’s always somebody who is at the same level as you and understands what you’re going through or where you’re coming from.”
Another thing that might keep people out of the gym is the impression that other people are looking at them and judging them when really everyone else is usually too busy focusing on themselves.
For those looking to get into it, starting will be the hardest part. Don’t hesitate. Take a class. If you give it a shot, it may very well change your quality of life. The voyage will be a grind and people both young and old will want to abandon ship within the first couple weeks of soreness.
“Take that first step and put your vanity aside, put your ego aside,” Diane said. “You are going to feel a little silly. You are going to feel uncoordinated and not in shape and that’s ok. Give yourself three or four weeks and then you’ll see a difference.”
People tend to quit too easily in the beginning because of the temporary discomfort, but that is the key—it is temporary. It won’t be felt as much after you grind through it.
“It has to be a little hard,” Diane said. “Sometimes you don’t like certain exercises because they’re hard. It’s in your nature to not like something that’s hard.”
About 30 years ago, when Diane was a fitness teacher at the YMCA in Montreal, she had a client who went up to her boss and complained that Diane was “too hard.”
The client was told to give it three weeks. If feelings were still the same, then they would talk further.
That client ended up staying with Diane for the rest of her time in Montreal. Point being: don’t jump to conclusions. Give it a shot.
From Diane’s experience, the Baby Boomer (age 48-60) prefers pilates to work on their balance, as well as body toning classes. While years of aging tend to make people “shrink,” pilates will improve your posture and pull you up. She recommends starting with pilates and bar before adding the body toning a couple weeks later.
According to Diane, the older generations should still try to get at least one or two body tonings in their weekly schedule at some point. In order to keep muscle mass and help burn calories, exercise can only help.
“The women and men over 55, they lose muscle mass, which means their metabolism is going to go slower and they’re going to gain weight,” Diane said. “With pre-menopause and menopause in women’s 50s, then they gain even more weight.”
But the most important thing is to always change it up. Incorporate other things. Do interval classes. Include light cardio into your body toning even if it’s not high impact. Don’t get used to doing something. Don’t get used to not doing something, such as jumping.
“The body gets used to not doing a lot of things, so it rusts very easily,” Diane said.
While Diane doesn’t hold classes for just one age group, mixing both younger and older clients is something that has helped create a positive atmosphere (doing pilates next to Nancy, I felt like I was the older one judging from how much I was sweating at age 24).
Diane said about one of her students, who is 66, “You would swear she looks 52.”
For those of you who have been working out their whole lives, you have probably realized that every decade or so you have to re-evaluate your goals and the needs of your body. Even though you might not be able to do things like you did when you were 20, you might just need to find the right modification for your workout at age 60.
“Say, ‘Ok, I’m not going to be able to do as much, I might have to slow down a little bit and then rejoin the group,’ and give yourself a little more leeway,” Diane said. “From week to week you feel differently, so I always encourage modifications. You should always have two or three alternatives to the same exercise. When there’s a movement that’s not comfortable, there’s always an option. You can always do something else that resembles the exercise without stopping or quitting.”
Just one of the fitness outlets available in Saratoga County, the NOA Fitness & Pilates Studio has all of their affordable workout prices listed online at www.noafitnessandpilatesstudio.com and can be reached by calling (518) 894-3820.
“It does change your outlook,” Diane said. “It makes you feel and look younger. You would never think they’re that age. You’re not going to be down and out about yourself. Even if you’re in a wheelchair you can have exercise…so there’s no excuse for not moving.”
