The clocks go back soon, and I know how it goes. The evenings close in, the sofa starts calling, the walks get shorter and everything feels a bit stiffer in the cold. I feel it too.
So I was delighted this autumn when two pieces of research landed on my desk, both giving us a very good reason to keep going. They’re good news for anyone who comes to the studio.
The closest thing we have to a longevity pill
Harvard Medical School recently published a report on healthy ageing, and the opening stopped me. It said that if a pill could lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and blood sugar, protect muscle and bone, sharpen thinking, lift mood and cut the risk of several cancers, it would be front-page news.
We already have it. It’s movement.
The report explains that from midlife most of us slowly lose strength, balance and flexibility, especially in the legs and hips. Joints get stiffer. Small things, like stepping up onto a kerb or catching yourself when you trip, get harder. The point that struck me most: much of this comes down to how much we move, not simply how old we are.
Harvard’s recipe for a long, healthy life has three parts:
- Strength, at least two days a week, to hold on to muscle and bone
- Balance and functional movement, to keep you steady and independent
- Aerobic activity, like a brisk walk, for your heart and lungs
The first two are what we do in every class: slow, controlled strength work for your legs, hips, back and tummy, plus the balance and mobility you need to get in and out of the car, up off the floor and through your day with ease. This is why I teach the way I do.
Pilates came out on top
In September, a team at Arizona State University led by Dr Connor Sheehan published a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. They followed more than 55,000 American adults for about ten years and looked at 21 complementary health practices, everything from acupuncture and massage to chiropractic care and yoga.
Only two were linked with living longer. Yoga came with a 27% lower risk of death. Pilates came with a 36% lower risk, the strongest result of all of them.
In Dr Sheehan’s words, the two practices “with the strongest longevity signal are ones rooted in physical movement.”
To be fair to the researchers, they’re very clear that this shows a link, not proof. People who do Pilates may already be healthier in other ways. But it fits with everything Harvard describes, and with what I see in the studio week after week: regular, mindful movement that builds strength, balance and body awareness is one of the best things you can do for your future self.
Why now matters
Winter is when good habits slip, and it’s when we need them most. Moving lifts your mood, eases stiffness and helps keep inflammation down. A few things I’d suggest for the darker months:
- Keep your classes in the diary. Treat them like an appointment with your future self.
- Get out in daylight. A brisk walk at lunchtime gives you your aerobic dose and some natural light.
- Snack on movement. Harvard calls these “exercise snacks”: stand up, stretch and move once an hour. A few roll-downs while the kettle boils all count.
- Don’t wait for perfect. The biggest gains come from going from nothing to something.
Add life to your years
The goal isn’t to be an athlete. It’s to keep living life on your own terms: carrying your own shopping, getting up off the floor, staying steady on your feet and keeping up with the people you love.
That’s what we work on together in every class. So as the nights draw in, let’s keep moving towards the light.
See you in the studio,
Anne
Sources
- ASU researchers find yoga and Pilates associated with longer lifespans, ASU News, September 2026
- Harvard Medical School, “Movement and your healthspan”, from Pathways to Longevity
