Congratulations !!!!! You are thinking of starting something new and you think that ‘it’ might be Pilates, yay !!!
You may have heard that Pilates is great for improving your posture. A good friend may have told you that it helped to reduce their back pain or maybe you read somewhere on social media that it helps to build a strong core. Your physio or doctor may have recommended that you take up Pilates to aid your recovery from injury. Maybe none of these reasons apply to you & you simply want get out of the house, meet new people, try something new, and be part of a class.
ALL of these are great reasons to try Pilates, ANY reason is a good reason if it encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and do something new.
Sometimes in life, we wait to be ‘ready’ for something but really are we ever ready, what does that even mean!!!!! Now is the right time !!!! The right time is NOT when you have managed to lose some weight, when you’ve got fitter, more flexible, after your holiday!!!!! IT’S NOW!!!
I remember when I was younger going to my weekly ‘Aerobics ‘ and ‘Steps’ classes and joining in the ‘cool down’ and stretches at the end and never really understanding why we needed to do them. For me it seemed like a waste of time, when we could still be jumping around and sweating like mad for an extra ten minutes. My flexibility and mobility were great and ignorance/innocence meant that I lacked understanding. Now as I’m enjoying my 50th year on this fabulous planet I so understand how movement enhances my life and reduces the restrictions and limitations age could place on me. Pilates is helping to keep my body young, strong and mobile.
“ Moving isn’t important until you cant”
Grey Cook
Last year I struggled for months with severe back pain that then radiated down my leg into my foot. My movement and mobility were restricted by pain and fear of exasperating the pain. Not being able to move as freely was frustrating, scary and restricting. I lost confidence in my body and it had a big impact on my self-confidence. I am not talking about body image here. I am referring to how feeling strong physically helps me to feel strong mentally.
For me, this story has a happy ending. An MRI scan showed a cyst on my lumbar spine that was causing some of the pain, trapping a major nerve. Thankfully they were able to remove the cyst and over a period of a few months the nerve pain subsided and has now almost gone. What the scan also showed is that I have arthritis in my hip and lower spine. This doesn’t surprise me as I have slight ‘Scoliosis’ (which is subject matter for a whole other blog!!!!!) that causes certain joints to be more loaded and has caused arthritis. My body isn’t perfect, we all have imperfections, strengths, weaknesses, we are all a work in progress. We only have this one body, we really need to look after it.
There are a few of the more advanced Pilates moves that I still struggle to do. This is as a result of my arthritis and awareness of the pain that certain movements can cause. However, I am still moving, getting stronger and more mobile in other joints whilst striving to keep my hips and spine as young as my body will allow !!!! If I’m never able to do those moves I’m ok with that, as long as I’m making progress, maintaining my fitness and importantly having fun, I am winning. This is also one of the reasons I LOVE Pilates as there are so many different exercises and movements that if one doesn’t work for your body there is another that will !!
Moving my body in a controlled really way helps me find more control in my crazy busy life and when i”m teaching Pilates I love seeing the many fabulous benefits people gain, not just physically but also mentally.
Strong in body = Strong in mind
We/You are never too old, too unfit, too busy, too out of shape to start something new. This is your time, enjoy it. Whatever your motivation for starting Pilates, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did and your body will thank you.
I look forward to seeing you on your mats soon