My Journey towards Pilates

My journey began at 14 years old.  I was a gymnast and was constantly getting injured.  I had recently been hospitalized and diagnosed with RSD (reflexive sympathetic dystrophy, now known as Chronic Pain Syndrome).  It's basically a disease caused by trauma to an injury (I had been competing in gymnastics on two sprained ankles for over 6 years.)  My doctors were getting me into all kinds of weird medicine like Biofeedback, Acupuncture, Chiropractics, Massage and stranger things I'm probably forgetting now.

Biofeedback was weird.  It didn't help that the doctor's name was something very similar to Dr. Wacko.  The name completely described the person, slightly out there with a very strange sense of humor.  Considering Biofeedback is strange to begin with, having  him as my doctor didn't help me to take it seriously.

Imagine, you're a freshman in High School.  You are 14 going on 30 and ready to finally start being treated like an adult.  You have now been transferred to Children's Hospital in a ward surrounded by babies.  Doctors have been coming in by the droves and now you are meeting a strange funny looking man I've named Dr. Wacko.  He starts talking to you in that patronizing voice adults use with little kids telling you all the wonderful things you can control in your body.   He keeps using analogies really meant for little kids or complete tree hugging hippies.  I was neither.

Thanks to my mother, I did actually listen to a little of what Wacko said.  Since I couldn't move around the house easily with two swollen ankles, she forced me do a lot of things, including listening to the meditation sessions Wacko had given me.  Even though I tried as hard as I could not to take it seriously, I did actually learn a few things.  Surprisingly (even to me) it helped!

Biofeedback allows you to control your body and body functions that most people can't really control like blood pressure and body temperature. It was probably a good thing I never learned the Body Temperature thing or I never would have passed High School.  I did learn to control my blood pressure and have managed to have some fun with this talent.

My first year of College, I got really sick and needed to go to the school clinic.  One of the guys I was dating at the time was working as a nurse.  When he went to take my blood pressure, I made it super low because I wanted to impress him.  Someone had mentioned low blood pressure means you're in good shape or something like that.  After he finished the procedure he looked at me as if he had just seen a ghost and asked if I was okay.  I thought he was just impressed because I was in really good shape.  He then asked if I felt faint and I thought I'd ask him what was wrong.  Turns out I made my blood pressure a little too low.  I had him take it again, and it was too high.  He was really confused until I explained Biofeedback.

Acupuncture, massage and Chiropractics were great for immediate release.  I'd feel good for a couple days, but within a week I was back at the office in even more pain then I had started.  The chiropractor also treated my mom for scoliosis.  He had given her some exercises for her back that helped her to keep her alignment.  When I asked for exercises to help, he laughed at me and said I was too mobile and nothing would work for me.  I got frustrated with never seeing an end to constant adjustments and figured I'd just have to suck it up and live in pain.

I had always liked Pilates.  Growing up in the 80s, Jane Fonda's videos were pretty big.  I'd do exercise videos with my babysitters all the time.  Some of the videos were Pilates.  Because of gymnastics, I was obsessed with attaining a 6 pack and a strong core.  The more abdominal exercises I did, the better I was at gymnastics.  After being released from the hospital, I had negotiated with my doctor's to still do gymnastics as long as I could make it safe.  I created an entire bar routine with the easiest dismount ever, an under-swing off the low bar.  In order to do this routine, I had to get my kip up, a bar move needing abdominal strength.  I was so close, but not quite there and needed the kip up to make my new bar routine safe so I could compete.  Pilates was the answer.

I started practicing all the mat exercises I had learned from the DVDs.  I went to any gym I could to take Pilates classes.  I'd even watch the early morning TV work outs and infomercials.  I LOVED Pilates!  I was able to truly work my core and really see results.  My neck and back weren't as sore and I finally got my kip up!

Until I started working at Commonwealth Sports Club, I didn't even know Pilates was done on machines.  I had my first work out in what's now my manager's office.  It was a tiny space and we kept hitting each other's hands and running into each other.  I was terrible at it and hated it!  I didn't feel anything and couldn't understand how this was a good work out, let alone Pilates.

Thankfully, I tried it again a year later.  I remembered not hating the footwork from my first experience and knew that it would be helpful for my ankle stability.  I was constantly rolling my ankles and hoped a 10 pack of Pilates classes might help make my ankles better.    I pretty much forced myself to do it.  It wasn't really a challenge like the work outs I'd been used to doing.  I did the 10 pack over a month and noticed much more stability in my ankles and less pain than I'd experienced in a long time.

I waited a month before purchasing another package.  Within that month I noticed a significant difference in my body.  Suddenly all the old pains started coming back.  My ankles were rolling again even in sneakers.  Stupid me, I still didn't make the connection.

Soon after, I went to the doctor for an annual physical.  When the nurse measured my height, I was an inch shorter than I'd been the year before.  I'm not a tall person and every inch counts when you are under 5'5"!  I made her take my measurements 6 times.  I probably drove the poor woman nuts. I still didn't beleive her and forced everyone I knew to measure me.  Sadly the tape measurer didn't lie and it was official.  I had shrunk.  Now I had no choice.  I had to purchase another Pilates package.

Within 4 sessions, I was already feeling better.  I finally made the connection between my pain and Pilates and became obsessed!  I'd go as often as possible, 2-3 times per week for equipment and even more for mat classes. I felt so amazing I didn't want to stop!  I didn't want the pain to come back.  The following year, I had a physical, and I had actually grown an inch.  Again, I had everyone and anyone I knew measure me to make sure.

Pilates has changed my life.  It has taught me to be pain free.  It has given me exercises that have helped heal my injuries and give me more stability throughout my entire body.  Through Pilates, I've learned how my body works and what I need to do to stay pain free.  I became so passionate I wanted to share this with others. Thus I became a Pilates instructor.

Pilates has enabled me to help others with their Pilates journey and the discovery of their own bodies.  Learning how your body works is empowering.  Pilates gives you the tools to change bad habits, fix posture and rehabilitate stubborn injuries.  To get the most out of Pilates, you have to come regularly, more than one time per week.  If not, you have to relearn everything you'd been working on.  Every body is different.  Mastering how your body moves will give you the ability to grow in fitness and do things you never even thought possible.  I thought I'd never be able to go running again given my ankle, knee, and hip injuries.  I now can run pain free because of Pilates.

As an instructor, my goal is to help you understand how your body moves and learn to overcome obstacles that get in your way.  Nothing is impossible, you just may not be ready yet.

Please share your journey into fitness or into Pilates.  Thank you!