Over 50
Wall Pilates over 50: a gentle start at home
By the TrueMe team · Updated
Yes, you can start Wall Pilates after 50. It is low impact, you stand at a wall for support, and every move has an easier version. Our free gentle session below is 10 minutes of standing moves with the easier version switched on. The CDC advises muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week, and from 65 it adds activities that improve balance.
In short
- Our free gentle session is 10 minutes of standing moves at a wall, with longer rests and the easier version of every move on. No floor work, no download, no sign-up.
- The CDC advises at least 150 minutes of moderate activity and two days of muscle-strengthening a week; from 65 it adds balance activities. Some activity is better than none.
- If you have a health condition, a recent injury or surgery, check with your doctor first. Prefer a physical therapist? We list 5 free classes taught by physical therapists and physiotherapists.
- Want it planned for you? TrueMe’s plan starts from how active you are now, not your age: $3.99 with a 7-day trial of the app, then $29.99 every 28 days until you cancel.
Play the gentle session
10 minutes of standing moves at a wall: supported squats, wall push-ups, rotations, marches and a short wall sit, with 20-second rests and the easier version of every move switched on. Turn your sound on and press play.
Pause whenever you like, and sit down between moves if you need to. You can stop halfway and build up over a few sessions.
Turn your sound on: a voice coaches every move. Prop your phone where you can see it.
Voice-guided, with a video of each move. Switch a move to its standard version when the easier one feels easy.
After the session
Carry on free
Our free picks for women over 50: 5 Pilates classes taught by physical therapists and physiotherapists, with our notes on each.
See the physio-led classesWant it planned for you?
A 28-day plan that starts from how active you are now. Your age is filled in, so the quiz skips that question.
How much exercise do you need after 50?
The CDC’s advice for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. From 65 it adds activities that improve balance, such as walking heel-to-toe or standing up from a chair. If that is too much for now, it says to be as active as your abilities and conditions allow: some activity is better than none.
Muscle-strengthening days
Body-weight moves such as wall squats and wall push-ups count. Two or three short sessions a week covers it.
The 150 minutes
Brisk walking is the easiest way to add them; a wall session does not replace it.
Balance
Wall marching and standing up from a chair work on it, with the wall or a chair in reach.
Sources: Adult activity: an overview (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Older adult activity: an overview (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); What counts as physical activity for adults (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
How to start safely after 50
Start supported, start with the easier version, and build up slowly. Check with your doctor first if you have a health condition, a recent injury or surgery, or are not sure where to begin.
Stay near the wall
Every one of our moves is done standing, with the wall in reach for balance.
Easier version first
It is on for every move in the gentle session. Step up to the standard version when it feels easy.
Breathe out on the effort
Do not hold your breath: breathe out as you push and in as you come back.
Stop if anything hurts
A strong pull in a working muscle is fine. Sharp pain or pain in a joint is a reason to stop.
Prefer to learn from a physical therapist? 5 free Pilates classes for women over 50, taught by physical therapists.
What a plan does for you after 50
The plan does not guess from your age. It starts from how active you are now: if you are starting out, sessions are 15 minutes, and if your answers suggest the habit will be hard to keep, you start with fewer days. Each week builds a little, and month two is planned from how month one went.
Your session length
Set from your answers about how active you are now: 15 minutes if you are starting out, 20 or 30 minutes if you are already active.
Your training days
Three, four or five days a week, set from your answers. If they suggest the habit will be hard to keep, you start with fewer days, not harder ones.
Four weeks that build
Each week the working sets get longer and the rests shorter, so week four asks more of you than week one.
Month two from month one
After four weeks, the next block is built from the sessions you finished and how each one felt.
Your report
A personal report explains your plan before you start, including which moves work the areas you chose.
None of it is needed to start: the gentle session above is free, and so are the physio-led classes we list.
Your age is filled in. You see a summary of your plan and its price before you pay anything.
What research says about Pilates after 50
In studies of adults 60 and over, Pilates improved balance and lowered the risk of falls. The evidence for strength is mixed, and it has not been shown to improve bone density.
The studies, in plain words: Pilates for Women Over 50: What It Can Do and How to Start.
What the plan costs
$3.99 one time for the plan and report, with a 7-day free trial of the app. After that, $29.99 every 28 days until you cancel, which you can do online at any time.
- Price
- $3.99 one time for your plan and report, including a 7-day free trial of the app.
- After the trial
- $29.99 every 28 days (13 times a year) until you cancel. We email you at least 3 days before the first charge.
- Cancelling
- Online at any time from Account in the app, or by email.
- Refunds
- 30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase, no reason needed.
- Download
- None. The app runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
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