DAVIE, Fla. – Over 54 million Americans have some form of arthritis, and close to half of them suffer pain that limits their activity.
What many don’t realize is that Pilates could ease the pain and even reduce the need for medications.
Although research is in the early stages, there are a growing number of studies showing that practicing Pilates can help strengthen muscles and help correct problems with posture, which are common among people with both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
“Basically what Pilates does is it’s a low impact form of exercise that releases pressure on the joints because the better your posture, it releases pressure on the joints, which is what you want if you have rheumatoid arthritis or even osteoporosis,” said Casey Librizzi, owner and trainer with The Ultimate Workout in Davie.
Studies have shown that arthritis patients who performed Pilates three times a week for eight to 10 weeks increased their range of motion and experienced less pain.
COVID and animals
And as concern grows over variants of the coronavirus, a study is underway to determine how animals and the environment may increase understanding about how to prevent future strains from spreading.
Researchers at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine are leading a collaborative effort to test pets, farm animals and wildlife to determine whether animals could carry COVID-19 mutations and possibly pass them back to humans.
Scientists have found that animals are vulnerable to the virus and are working on developing vaccines targeting those species.