Let’s talk about back pain. As a Pilates teacher for over 20 years I have worked with a LOT of people who deal with back pain. You might think that you should rest your back if it hurts, but research shows that regular exercise can reduce the frequency of recurring back pain attacks by almost half.
In general there are 2 key things that I have seen over and over again that help people lessen their pain or eliminate it completely. It might surprise you to know that these 2 things are not necessarily specific to Pilates.
- Move more and move in more ways that help your body improve strength and mobility on a regular basis. When people first find Pilates they often discover a type of exercise they actually enjoy that doesn’t aggravate their pain and because of that they start practicing on a regular basis. Just this consistency of adding more movement into their life helps them feel better in their body. You should know that these kind of results are common in other movement practices as well…Yoga, strength training, adding more cardiovascular training, etc.
In some ways, someone feeling better when they first start Pilates is specific to Pilates (your Pilates teachers have gone through intensive training to help you figure out how to move without increasing your back pain and they adjust the exercises specifically for you). In some ways the pain relief is simply a result of moving more and in new ways which gives you more overall strength and mobility in your body!
So if Pilates is not your thing…find something else that encourages you to do more movement in your life! If Pilates is your thing…do it consistently in your life.
- Do things that balance out your body. The Pilates Method of exercise is a method focused on learning how to do movements in a way that creates more balance in your body as you strengthen. This means that each Pilates exercise you practice is designed to stretch muscles and tissues that are tight and strengthen muscles that are weaker so that your body functions how it was designed to function.
How do I balance out my body? The process of balancing out your body is not something that happens immediately when you start working on it and the results from this type of specific training usually takes time. The best way to learn this technique of creating more balance in your body is to work with an experienced movement teacher who can guide you and teach you how to practice this skill in your body. Then of course you’ll want to continue practicing it as much as you can!
If you have worked with me at all I often call this work of balancing out your body as you move “picky Pilates”! Joseph Pilates developed the Pilates method to focus on quality of movement, rather than repetitions, so the bonus here is you do not have to perform tons of repetition to get results. You just need to pay attention to how you are practicing the exercises to get results.
If you have back pain I would encourage you to find some movement and exercise that you can consistently add into your life and learn how to balance your body. Pilates of course is an ideal way to work on these two things if it is something you enjoy.
Many of our clients have found that the Pilates Reformer has helped them balance their bodies, and reduce/eliminate back pain.
The Reformer provides a low-impact workout that can help to strengthen the muscles in the back, hips, and abdomen, which are all important for supporting the spine. By improving strength and flexibility, many of our clients have found relief from back pain. The bonus? The Pilates Reformer is designed to “meet you where you are”. You don’t have to worry about “getting in shape” to start an exercise program, because your instructor will show you how to use the reformer in a way that helps you create balanced strength and mobility in your body.
If you are interested in learning more about how the Pilates Method and specifically how practicing Pilates on the Reformer can help you with these two keys to a happy back we have just the thing.
Start your Pilates journey with our Beginning Reformer workshop on Sunday, August 6.
In this his 90 minute workshop you’ll get a guided tour of the Pilates Reformer that includes safety and tips for beginners. You’ll be introduced to basic Pilates Reformer exercises and learn how to practice the basic Pilates Reformer exercises in your body in a non intimidating atmosphere.
This is a great workshop for anyone who is new to Pilates or new to practicing Pilates using the Pilates reformer.
What to expect:
- Time to ask questions.
- A comfortable atmosphere to try basic movements on the Pilates Reformer in your body and have the guidance of a teacher to help you figure out the best way to do each exercise.
- No judgement
- A fun, supportive atmosphere
- A detailed guide you can take home with you
From reducing migraines, to reducing pain, to just plain feeling better, clients have been loving our Roll, Release and Relax class on Saturdays at 8 am. Many of the principles we employ in this class are described in the book, “The Role Model”, by Jill Miller. This class is appropriate for everyone from couch potatoes to runners and those who participate in regular fitness classes! 
While this is definitely something everyone can do at home with the right tools, often we find ourselves rushing through the rolling sequence, or feeling guilty about taking time for self care when there is so much to do in our home. Many of our clients tell me, that rolling class on Saturdays is their favorite type of self care! 
Let’s start with the hospital question. I’m not sure how many times it has happened over the last 15 months that Kelly just never told me she had spent the previous night or day at the ER, the hospital or all day at doctor’s appointments before our session. The first few times when it happened I was in complete disbelief when I found out later. I haven’t been in the hospital for myself since my eight year old was born…. so to think that someone would spend a night in the ER and then come to their Pilates session and not even mention it to their Pilates instructor… was kind of unbelievable to me. It drives me a little crazy when someone forgets to write on their health intake form about the arm they broke 8 years ago….so forgetting to tell me you were in the hospital yesterday or even 2 or 3 days ago seems inconceivable. Could someone possibly think that my planning of what we were going to do in a Pilates session wouldn’t be at all affected by a hospital trip?!