This practice will keep you standing tall at any age.
One way researchers suspect you can measure longevity is by looking at how efficiently someone can get up from the floor.
“We used to just look at cardiovascular health and lung capacity and things like that,” says Lindy Royer, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor who’s leading our healthy aging workout series. “But the health of our bones, joints, muscles, and tissues are all really good predictors of longevity and mortality.”
Pulling yourself up from the ground sounds simple enough, but it requires you to activate practically all of your major muscle groups: You use your shoulders, arms, and core to prop yourself up, and your glutes and thighs to rise to your feet. Of course, this gets harder as we get older.
That’s where Lindy and our friends at Lindywell Pilates come in. Over the past couple of months, we’ve collaborated with the Pilates company to create routines specifically designed to keep you strong through your fifties, sixties, and beyond. Our earlier workouts have focused on building strength and mobility in different regions of the body, and in this video we’re bringing all of that together. Lindy will run you through a few simple exercises that, if done consistently, will keep you on your feet for years to come.
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