Pilates Vs Weight Training for Women Over 40
Pilates Vs Weight Training for Women Over 40
I’m hearing a lot of debate at the moment where people are trying to work out what’s best for women over 40 between Pilates or weight training.
It’s so important for all of us to stay active after 40 to maintain overall health and improve bone density, strength, flexibility and a positive mental wellbeing.
Many women in particular look to either Pilates or weight training to combat these areas, and this month’s blog will compare the benefits of both, and help you decide which might be best for you.
The fitness needs of women over 40
Before we compare whether Pilates or weight training is best for you, let’s think about why it’s so important for women over 40 to prioritise their mental and physical health.
As the body heads into perimenopause and menopause, metabolism can slow down, and the balance of hormones will shift and change.
This has all sorts of consequences for different areas of the body and means that it’s particularly important for women over 40 to prioritise their joint health, bone and muscle strength as well as cardiovascular health too.
However, due to the impact of these hormonal changes women may experience more fatigue, aches and pains in their joints and muscles and pelvic floor issues. So there is a need for more low-impact exercise options which will improve their symptoms and overall wellbeing
As with any change to life circumstances, there can be an impact on a women’s mental health during the menopause, so it’s even more important to prioritise mental wellness and the reduction of stress at this time.
So, let’s look at whether Pilates or weight training could be a good option for you at this time.
What weight training offers
Weight training is a great form of exercise, with lots of benefits for women over 40.
It’s perhaps best known for building muscle, which is great for this stage of life as it’ll help to prevent age-related muscle loss (also known as sarcopenia).
Weight training also supports bone density, especially if you’re prioritising resistance-based exercises. It can also increase your resting metabolic rate, supporting weight loss, if that is something that you’re concerned about.
And one thing that will be helped whether you choose Pilates or weight training is your confidence and posture, as both can be improved by either form of exercise.
However, there are some drawbacks to weight training.
If it’s not supervised properly, the impact on your body can be quite high, and may cause excess strain or even injury if your form is incorrect. It also may not be ideal for those with joint issues or limited mobility because of the nature of the exercises undertaken.
What Pilates offers
Pilates is a great all-round, low impact exercise option.
In contrast to high-impact training, Pilates focuses on core strength, flexibility, balance and controlled movement.
It’s gentle on the joints, while still toning muscle and improving posture, bringing real benefits without as much risk.
It’s great for improving mobility and flexibility which will help reduce aches and pains associated with Perimenopause and Menopause and general postural issues a lot of women suffer with over the age of 40.
Pilates also enhances the mind-body connection through focusing on Pilates principles such as Control, Concentration, Precision, Flow, Centering and Breath. All which help you have a greater awareness of how to move correctly in a safe and effective way.
Pilates is also very accessible, as it’s easily adaptable for all fitness levels and body types and can also be adapted around medical conditions and injuries.
So whether you’re a complete beginner or you already know the ropes, have ongoing medical conditions or injuries you need to work around, Pilates can help.
Pilates vs. weight training: a side-by-side comparison
For those of you who like to see information presented more visually, here’s a table to help you to compare whether Pilates or weight training is right for you.
| Feature | Pilates | Weight training |
| Impact on joints | Low-impact, joint-friendly | Can be low or high impact |
| Flexibility and mobility | Improves significantly | Improves mobility but limited unless paired with stretching |
| Bone health | Supports through body-weight resistance and load bearing when using equipment | Supports via load bearing |
| Risk of injury | Low due to the slow controlled movements and even lower under supervision | Higher if form is incorrect but lowers under supervision |
| Mental health | Improved through mind-body focus and reduction in stress levels | Improved |
| Suitability for women over 40 | Highly adaptable exercises for any age, fitness and experience.
Better under supervision to ensure good technique |
Suitable but may require supervision to ensure good form |
5 Best Bodyweight Exercises That Burn More Belly Fat Than Gym Workouts After 40
Pilates or weight training: can’t you do both?
Perhaps you’re wondering whether you need to choose between the two, or if both of these exercise types can be done together.
Of course, it’s not an either-or for everyone, and it’s up to each individual to work out what’s right for them. I certainly know lots of people who do both Pilates and weight training, and really enjoy them for different reasons.
I myself incorporate weight training alongside my Pilates and Yoga practices.
However, I would say that for women over 40, Pilates may be a more sustainable option, with it being a slightly lower risk due to lower-impact and a slower more controlled pace, and more overall benefits for your physical and mental health.
Contact New Healthy Body to find out about what we offer for women over 40
While weight training has lots of benefits, Pilates offers a holistic, low-risk, high-reward approach which can be tailored to the changing needs of women over 40.
At New Healthy Body our team are highly qualified Pilates teachers, who have lots of experience supporting women over 40 through their Perimenopause and Menopause journeys as well as other age related issues such as Pelvic Floor dysfunction, Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis
If you’re trying to decide whether to invest in Pilates or weight training, we’d love to welcome you to join our 21 Day Pilates Programme , so that you can experience first-hand how supportive it is for your mind and body, whatever stage you’re at.
That’s why we’re so passionate about Pilates being for everyone, and why each of our instructors get to know the individual needs of their class members so that they can choose and adapt exercises to help each person where they need it the most.
We’re keen to cater for those wanting to maintain flexibility, bone density and muscle mass, and believe that Pilates is a great way of regaining control over your body and life.
We know that everyone comes to Pilates with different backgrounds, so all of our classes cater for mixed abilities, meaning it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or you’re more experienced.
If you’d like to talk to us about whether Pilates or weight training is right for you, then please do get in contact and have a chat about what you’d like to gain from your exercise regime and how we can help you.