Pilates Works — But Only If You Do!

Like anything worthwhile, overcoming pain through Pilates takes patience and commitment to regular practice. Over the past 20-plus years, I've seen many clients give up Pilates because they haven't achieved the results they desire. They believe they are doing Pilates, but in reality, their practice is sporadic or something they fit in when there is nothing else to do. This mindset won't produce results, and I'm going to share the stories of 2 clients - one who gave up on herself and another who prioritises herself and her Pilates practice no matter what, so you can benefit from their experiences. I share these stories not to shame anyone or make you feel guilty, but to show you what's possible if you are consistent with your Pilates practice

Brenda's Story

In her early 60s, when she started Pilates with me, Brenda was determined to overcome her back pain and age well. Having seen her mother struggle with severe mobility issues following unsuccessful hip replacement surgery, she wanted to ensure she aged well. Not long after she had overcome her back pain, Brenda was diagnosed with osteoporosis, which came as a shock.   She consulted a naturopath, and I shifted my focus to creating a Pilates program to help her improve her bone density as much as possible. She rarely missed either of her twice-weekly sessions and when it was time for the next scan, she was delighted to learn her bone density had greatly improved. Her naturopath asked for my business card and began referring clients to me. Brenda was overjoyed and empowered to have successfully improved her bone density without medication. A few months later, she began missing classes. She had overseas visitors staying with her.  Then she was required to babysit her grandson, and the list went on. Suddenly, her twice-weekly Pilates sessions became weekly and then often once or twice monthly.  After many months of minimal Pilates, she came to her session looking downcast. She had just received the results of her latest bone scan, and, not surprisingly, they weren't good. When I explained that she hadn't been putting in the work that she had previously, she couldn't understand it. To her mind, she did Pilates, so her bone density should be good. Although her results had shown improvement in the past, she needed to continue attending Pilates to maintain it, and she hadn't.  Brenda said she always came to Pilates when she didn't have anything else scheduled, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. She left looking very despondent, and I never saw her again. She couldn't comprehend that she wasn't putting in the work required to achieve her goals.

Marie's Story

When Marie, my client of several years, began experiencing numbness and tingling in her foot after falling asleep in an awkward position on a long-haul flight, she immediately went to her GP for a diagnosis.  She had a lumbar disc bulge that was compressing a spinal nerve, and her GP referred her to a neurosurgeon immediately to see if surgery was necessary. Fortunately, her surgeon said to continue strengthening with Pilates, and he would monitor her every 3 months.  Marie has been so committed to her sessions, and even though she travels all the time, it hasn't stopped her from attending the majority of her virtual Pilates sessions. She is currently in the US visiting family. and there is no interruption to her Pilates training.  As she visits her son and his family regularly, she has purchased a Pilates mat and some weights so she has what she needs to practice each time she visits. It takes organisation and forward planning to achieve this, but at 67, Marie has overcome the symptoms of the disc bulge, and the surgeon has said surgery won't be necessary at this point.  When her overseas voluntary work doesn't allow for a virtual 1 on 1 Pilates session with me, Marie does her own practice using my library of on-demand videos.   Marie is doing everything she can to stay symptom-free and avoid surgery, which means keeping up with Pilates wherever she is.

My book MOVE FREE FROM PAIN, which is available on Amazon in Kindle format and paperback, contains many inspiring success stories of my clients who have overcome pain and are ageing well by being consistent with their Pilates training.

If you are ready to start Pilates, 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 on your Pilates journey to pain-free living!