You’re Not Getting Older — You’re Getting Deconditioned

There are genuine physiological changes that occur as we move through our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. We lose muscle mass gradually (sarcopenia) while our bone density reduces, particularly after menopause. Recovery can take longer. Connective tissues become less elastic. This is the reality of ageing. But here is the important part: Ageing does not automatically cause pain. It does not automatically cause stiffness. And it certainly does not automatically remove strength and balance. What accelerates those changes is inactivity.

The Quiet Drift Into Deconditioning

Deconditioning rarely happens dramatically. It happens more subtly. Before the pandemic, I used to include jumping from one rock to another at the bay on my daily walk. During lockdown, I stopped doing this for a while and walked closer to home with fewer challenges. When I eventually went back to my original course, I baulked at the rocks. I feared falling for the first time ever. I tried to override my fear, but I couldn't. I had lost condition on the easier walking course without realising it, and my personal Pilates practice schedule had also been reduced. It all happened gradually and deceptively; I didn't feel any different. until I got to the rocks. I've since regained my fitness, overcome that fear and have gone back to what I used to do on the rocks.  But it took time and effort to get back to where I was, and this is something many people would never regain. Other ways deconditioning can happen are when you stop lifting heavier objects. You avoid kneeling because it feels uncomfortable. You turn your whole body instead of rotating your spine. You hold the bannister “just in case.” You stop getting down to the floor. None of these choices seems significant in isolation. But over time, they reduce load, reduce variability, and reduce confidence. Muscles that are not challenged weaken. Bones that are not loaded lose density. Joints that are not moved through the full range stiffen. Balance that is not maintained declines. 

The body adapts to whatever you consistently ask of it.

Pain Is Often A Capacity Issue

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that pain equals damage, and this isn't always the case. More often in the 50+ population, pain can reflect reduced tolerance. If your hips have not been loaded, a long walk feels threatening. If your spine has not rotated for a long time, gardening triggers stiffness. If your legs have not been challenged, stairs feel daunting. This is not fragility. It is a reduced capacity.

And capacity can be rebuilt.

The Good News: Decconditioning Is Reversible

The body remains remarkably adaptable — well into our 70s, 80s and beyond. Muscle responds to progressive load, and bone responds to weight-bearing.
Balance improves with practice. Mobility improves with intelligent movement. I have worked with clients who believed they were “too old” to regain strength — only to discover they simply hadn’t been challenging their bodies appropriately. Within months, their confidence shifts. Their posture changes, and their movement becomes smoother. Their world expands again. Not because they got younger, but because they got stronger.

The Mindset Shift

The most powerful change is often not physical — it is psychological. When we believe decline is inevitable, we move cautiously. When we move cautiously, we reduce the load. When we reduce load, we decondition. When we decondition, things feel harder. And the cycle reinforces itself. Breaking that cycle requires graded, thoughtful exposure to movement — not reckless intensity, but progressive challenge. The goal is not to prove anything. It is to rebuild trust in your body.

Ageing Is Not The Enemy

Ageing is natural. Loss of capacity through underuse is optional. The question to ask yourself is not: “How old am I?” It is: “When did I last challenge my strength, balance, or mobility?” If something feels harder than it used to, it may not be your age speaking. It may simply be your body asking for stimulus. And that is something we can work with.

If you are ready to start your Pilates journey to maintain strength and condition as you age, email me at [email protected] .  Alternatively, you can book an Initial Assessment with me here or  take the free 10 day trial of JS Mind Body Pilates, my online studio which is a library of on-demand videos, and start straight away.  It would be my pleasure to assist you in enjoying a happy, healthy retirement!