Pilates is for Life

Pilates as an exercise method was meant to enhance the quality of one’s life. Joseph Pilates created the exercises to change his own life by achieving physical fitness. He was a pioneer and realized as we do today that the key to great health is through top physical conditioning.

The finest aspect of Pilates is that it can be done for life and essentially started at any age and any level of physical condition. I have actually practiced Pilates for more than 20 years. I initially started doing Pilates just as another fad workout to stay in shape and maybe lose a few inches here and there. But then it became so much more in my life. i started to experience physical pain that was slowly ruining my hobby of training for triathlons. i was stumped. I was still young, and in my thirties, how could I have sustained an injury that would stop my passion in its tracks? I had been doing triathlons for only a few years and had not even gotten to Ironman level yet, only a half ironman triathlon. My goal was to do the Florida Ironman in Panama. A good Ironman to start with as I was told since Florida was flat. But I was not getting better. I had pain in my lower back that was to be diagnosed as SI joint dysfunction. My SI joint was hypermobile, and I somehow needed to stabilize it.

The pain was a symptom of a greater problem which was a greater issue in itself. I had to learn how to make my spine and joints stable. The constant pounding of cardio vascular training without strengthening was working against me. I can remember being on a run and feeling my muscles almost swinging with each stride.

Now as an endurance athlete, too much muscle mass gets in the way of your running, biking, and swimming. However, i was not a professional athlete getting paid to do this kind of heavy training, and how could exercise now suddenly be bad for me? I had to seriously rethink my training and go back to the drawing board as the saying goes, and the answer for me was Pilates.

I went back to doing Pilates, became an apprentice and started to learn as much as I could about how I could heal myself. I had a lot to learn in this arena having studied business and been in sales and marketing for 15 years prior to this. This would be a total career change and life change for me.

And now almost 15 years later, I still practice, study and learn from doing Pilates. I even have my own apprentice now.

Pilates really is for life, and a way of life. I have transformed and healed my own body, and seen my clients transform. I do Pilates every day, and ideally it is done for 45-55 minutes 3 times a week to really benefit from the method. I still practice a yoga, cycling and power walking. But my love and loyalty are to Pilates and namely STOTT Pilates! The exercises and equipment are the best in the business.

So, as I wrap up this blog, I will be power walking to my studio to practice Pilates with tremendous gratitude for this wonderful method!!