Frustrated with not being able to exercise due to pain or injury?

If you are someone who is recovering from an injury or deals with a chronic condition or chronic pain you may be feeling frustrated with your lack of being able to move and exercise.  After all, we all know that exercise and movement can be one of the key components to keeping our body healthy and feeling good. 

I have some great news for you…you are probably not as limited as you think or feel in your body.  Depending on what’s going on in your body you’ve probably gotten some movement restrictions from your doctor or maybe you just know that there are certain movements that seem impossible or hurt.  When you have these restrictions the thought of trying a group exercise class can be really really intimidating.  No one wants to be the person in class who can’t do anything or the person the teacher has to modify all the exercises for.  

If this sounds like you, we suggest trying a complimentary private Pilates session and maybe starting your Pilates journey with some private Pilates sessions.  I often feel like most people envision a private Pilates session as torture…thinking that the teacher will be especially hard on them since they are the only person to focus on or maybe that a private session is just you doing what you would do in a class except the teacher is only teaching you…This is totally not the case!!    Let me tell you a little bit more about what to expect in a private session:

• Most private sessions start with a little chat time.  If you are brand new this time will be a little bit longer so that a teacher can learn more about what is going on in your body, learn about what kinds of movements you are currently doing in your life, and learn about what you want to be able to do so that she can teach you appropriate exercises in your session to help you meet your goals.  If it’s not your first session your teacher will probably just check in with you about how your body is feeling today and how you felt after your last session.  This chat time is very important to teachers as it helps them design your session for the day.  Teachers don’t go into a session with a concrete plan of what they are going to do with you….they have a general plan or idea but often change that plan and what specific exercises you’ll do based on how your body is feeling and what it needs on any given day.  
• Your movement time often starts with a warm up time.  This warm up time often includes things like breath and reviewing some of the fundamental movements and ideas we use in Pilates.  This warm up time allows you as a client to check in to your session and see how you are feeling today, it allows your body to do gentle movements that warm up your muscles and joints and it allows your teacher to see how your body is moving.   Weird Pilates teacher fact…. Your teacher has been watching you move since you’ve walked in the door! Movement Teachers (especially Pilates teachers)  are very good at watching movements, assessing imbalances, and thinking about how we as teachers could help you move better. We don’t just do it during your session but basically all the time.  We can tell a lot by how you are moving in your daily activities that can help us teach you better!  
• Your teacher will encourage you to give her feedback, especially as you are getting to know each other.  By letting your teacher know when something doesn’t feel right, if something hurts or maybe where you felt an exercise…your teacher can give you movement suggestions to help you work better in your body.  
• Each exercise will be tailored to what your body is capable of doing and should be doing or not doing.  Pilates teachers are trained to be able to create movement programs that are adaptable to whatever is going on in your body.  Your teacher can work with restrictions from your doctor or physical therapist and teach you how to still strengthen your body staying within those guidelines from your health professionals.  
• The exercises you’ll do will feel like work but they will not be inappropriate for your body.  It is never our goal to make you so sore you can’t walk the next day or to have you hurt in anyway!  We believe in challenging the body so that you’ll increase strength, flexibility and balance in your body in a way that makes you feel better in your body!  One of the benefits of a private session is that a teacher can tailor an exercise specifically to you and your working level…helping you improve safely and most efficiently!
• Your teacher may suggest some “homework” exercises.  Depending on when you are coming for your next session your teacher may give you some suggestions on some specific exercises to do at home or even movement tips for your daily activities ( how to improve your posture while sitting a lot or how to pay attention to your movements when you are gardening so your back doesn’t hurt!) As Pilates teachers it’s always our goal to help you learn more about how your body moves and works so that you can be empowered to make changes in your movements that help your body feel amazing! 

Private Pilates sessions are definitely much more than just a workout.  Private Pilates sessions are a learning opportunity for you in your body and life.  If you are wanting to learn how to move and stay active even while you are dealing with injuries or health conditions in your life you’ll definitely want to try a session and see if you could benefit.