{"id":146517,"date":"2025-05-31T10:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T10:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/146517\/"},"modified":"2025-05-31T10:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T10:04:14","slug":"im-doing-things-most-wouldnt-even-try-helen-reveals-the-reason-she-can-climb-stairs-without-a-cane-and-jump-on-trampolines-at-85-fitness-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/146517\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I\u2019m doing things most wouldn\u2019t even try\u2019: Helen reveals the reason she can climb stairs without a cane and jump on trampolines at 85 | Fitness News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAt 85, Helen Khan is doing things most wouldn\u2019t even try! \ud83d\ude05 From climbing stairs without a cane, trampoline jumps, and dancing on Monica, Oh My Darling\u2014she\u2019s just unstoppable.\ud83d\udcaf Living proof that Pilates keeps you young!\ud83d\udcaa,\u201d fitness coach and influencer Yasmin Karachiwala captioned an Instagram video of the Bollywood veteran acing all sorts of Pilates exercises.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHi, I am a girl of 85, and because of Pilates, I\u2019m doing things most wouldn\u2019t even try,\u201d Helen tells the camera, before jumping on a trampoline and boasting about her ability to do so.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"lazyloading\" decoding=\"async\" data-lazy-type=\"lazyloading-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/track_1x1.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/track_1x1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1px\" height=\"1px\" style=\"display:none;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Is Pilates really that beneficial?<\/p>\n<p>Fitness trainer Garima Goyal told <a rel=\"noamphtml noopener\" class=\"keywordtourl\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\" target=\"_blank\">indianexpress.com<\/a> that consistency is key to gaining the benefits of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/lifestyle\/fitness\/pilates-is-a-super-safe-exercise-form-and-makes-your-body-stronger-from-the-inside-yasmin-karachiwala-9220572\/\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pilates<\/a><\/strong>, such as improved mobility, strength, and overall well-being,\u00a0 adding that elderly individuals can undoubtedly benefit from it.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>What should you keep in mind?<\/p>\n<p>She shared some tips and considerations for the elderly to get started:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Start slow<\/strong> \u2013 Start with beginner-level classes or exercises. Pilates can be modified to suit different fitness levels and abilities.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"subscriber_hide\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/subscribe\/upsc-special\/?utm_source=IESITE&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Inarticle\" title=\"Festive offer\" data-ie-event-category=\"Event_banner\" data-ie-event-action=\"Article\" data-ie-event-label=\"Desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"lazyloading\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\" data-lazy-type=\"lazyloading-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/article_banner.jpg\" alt=\"Festive offer\" width=\"640px\" height=\"99px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Focus on fundamentals<\/strong> \u2013 Emphasise core strength, balance, flexibility, and posture, all key components of Pilates and beneficial for the elderly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use appropriate equipment<\/strong> \u2013 Some exercises can be performed on a mat, while others might require equipment like resistance bands or Pilates machines. Instructors can provide modifications as needed, shared Goyal.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monitor intensity and duration<\/strong> \u2013 Keep the workouts comfortable and avoid overexertion. \u201cSessions can be shorter initially and gradually increase as endurance builds,\u201d said Goyal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pay attention to body cues<\/strong> \u2013 Encourage listening to the body and stopping if you feel any pain or discomfort.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" class=\"lazyloading size-full wp-image-10025742\" data-lazy-type=\"lazyloading-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fitness-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pilates\"  \/> Pilates improves core strength (Source: Freepik)<br \/>\nHow can you get started?<\/p>\n<p>According to Goyal, these beginner-friendly <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/lifestyle\/fitness\/preity-g-zinta-pilates-fitness-variety-concept-how-to-do-9118624\/\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pilates<\/a> <\/strong>exercises can be an easy foray into this workout routine:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pelvic tilts:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benefits \u2013 Strengthens the lower back and core muscles.<br \/>\u2013 How to Do \u2013 Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Slowly tilt your pelvis towards your ribs, flatten your lower back against the floor, and then release.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leg slides:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benefits \u2013 Enhances core stability and leg strength.<br \/>\u2013 How to Do \u2013 Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Slowly slide one leg out straight, keeping the core engaged, and then return to the starting position. Alternate legs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Knee folds:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benefits \u2013 Improves hip mobility and core strength.<br \/>\u2013 How to Do \u2013 Lie on your back with knees bent. Slowly lift one knee towards your chest, keeping the other foot on the floor, and then lower it back. Alternate legs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chest lift:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benefits \u2013 Strengthens the upper abdominal muscles.<br \/>\u2013 How to Do \u2013 Lie on your back with knees bent and hands behind your head. Gently lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, engaging your core, and then lower back down.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seated forward flexion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Benefits \u2013 Stretches the back and hamstrings.<br \/>\u2013 How to Do \u2013 Sit on a chair with feet flat on the floor. Slowly bend forward at the hips, reaching towards the floor or your ankles, and then return to sitting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cAt 85, Helen Khan is doing things most wouldn\u2019t even try! \ud83d\ude05 From climbing stairs without a cane,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":146518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[26562,63020,63024,12087,63019,1630,57035,105,55400,63023,63022,5733,63021,5295,63025,16,15,63018],"class_list":{"0":"post-146517","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-aging-gracefully","9":"tag-beginner-pilates","10":"tag-chest-lift","11":"tag-core-strength","12":"tag-elderly-fitness","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-garima-goyal","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-helen-khan","17":"tag-knee-folds","18":"tag-leg-slides","19":"tag-mobility","20":"tag-pelvic-tilts","21":"tag-pilates","22":"tag-seated-forward-flexion","23":"tag-uk","24":"tag-united-kingdom","25":"tag-yasmin-karachiwala"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}