Pilates helps you do life better

If it’s easy, it’s probably not Pilates.

You might’ve seen this fun quote on a graphic like a T-shirt or a notebook. (Un)fortunately, it’s true. Most likely, you discovered Pilates because you were looking for some movement or exercise in your life. But little did you know that it would be the “secret sauce” you need in your life for all the things you do.

Walking on a flat surface
Walking up and down stairs
Carrying (groceries, laundry, a small child)
Getting inside a car, and more importantly, getting out of a car
Reaching for your bath towel
Reaching for anything on a top shelf
Sitting down in any chair, sofa, or toilet. And how about down to the floor!?
And let’s be real for a second – more importantly, standing up from any chair, sofa, or toilet. Even the floor!
Catching yourself when you trip so you don’t fall
Picking yourself up if you do fall. If anyone sees, just yell out “I do my own stunts!”. Or is that just me???
Picking things up off the ground (because you dropped something, looking at items on a low shelf, or picking up a child)
Household chores (I know you have a list!)
Running errands

I was inspired to write this blog because of my mom. I re-started teaching Pilates to my mom sometime in 2021 after she threw her back out, somehow drove herself to the ER, and drove back home before she texted me to tell me about her day. SMH. Once she was feeling better to come by my house, I noticed when I let her in how she was doing the “Tim Conway shuffle walk”. I’m seriously dating myself here, but that’s what came to mind watching her walk around my house. And that’s when I told her we needed to start Pilates.

I showed her some stretches for her hips and back that she should do 3-5x/day to help with some relief, as well as starting to move her body gently. Things she could do at home. She’s actually pretty good at doing her homework, at least the ones she can remember. We all have to start somewhere. Week after week, helping and watching my mom navigate the stairs to my house with her bags, checking in on how she’s doing the stretches, I was slowly able to incorporate exercises on the Cadillac, and a couple of exercises on the reformer.

What I gave her was a lot of corrective exercises, strengthening exercises, balancing exercises, and working her weaker side. All of it is hard, none of it is easy, and every time she has a session with me, she always asks if I can stretch her or massage her. And I politely say no, and tell her I’m going to make you work so you can get stronger to live your daily life better. Which I understand is not sexy or intriguing at all. But I also know how she wants to live independently for as long as she can, and this is how I can help her achieve that goal.

Does she complain the entire time I’m making her work? YES! However, it’s decreased A LOT since I’ve been teaching her. Does she feel a difference? YES! I know for sure the first time it made a difference. She came by the house to tell me her knee has been achy and kind of hurts when she walks up/down the stairs. I took her to the Cadillac, and gave her 2 exercises working weak-strong-weak sides, and she was in disbelief that her knee wasn’t achy and hurting by the time she sat up, and walked around the room. I still remember her saying “Oh, it doesn’t hurt anymore. <looks at her knee>. <touches her knee>. How can this be?”. Was the disbelief that Pilates works, or in me, or that I used Pilates to help her? I never did ask her what the disbelief was because what was important is that her knee wasn’t achy or hurting after that short session.

After that time, the homework I gave her were strengthening exercises she could do at home, in addition to the stretches. But to keep the changes, and the work in her body, she had to strengthen. Stretching feels good at the moment, but in my mind, it doesn’t change the body. You change the body using strength. Now the awesome thing about Pilates is that every exercise is about BOTH strengthening AND stretching. You’re using the strengthening aspect for the stretch AT THE SAME TIME. Yep. Read that twice if you have to. So, the stretch is active, not passive. Passive is a massage. Active is dynamic; it’s work. You’re not just laying there, and it’s the whole body working. If any part is resting, you’re missing the good stuff out of Pilates.

A couple of months ago, we traveled back East together to visit family, and I wouldn’t have made the trip with her if she hadn’t made as much progress as she has. She’s come a long way. While we were back East for 2 weeks, I did teach her a few times on the carpet, against a wall, using the bed, using a chair, and some props I brought with me because as we all know, it takes a while to build up strength. And it’s amazing how quickly it can go away if you don’t keep at it. What’s cool is to hear my mom ask for a session when we were flying back home. It just made my Pilates heart smile!

So, to catch you up to current times, my mom is no longer doing the “Tim Conway shuffle walk”. She can pick up her legs. She can walk up and down the stairs to my house while carrying her bags. She’s doing as many exercises as she can remember at home, including “stand-sit-stand” without the use of her arms.

Recently, after a session on the reformer and ladder barrel, my mom shared with me that she’s now able to carry 1 grocery bag and walk up the stairs to her building. Before this she was carrying the 1 grocery bag and walking the wheelchair ramp to her building because she couldn’t figure out how to carry the bag in front of her chest, and lift her legs to walk up the stairs to her building. I was so shocked to hear this because I simply didn’t know. I told her that it’s so awesome to hear that, and I’m so glad she can do that now.

What adjustments have you been making to your life that you would like to get back to doing? It doesn’t matter if it’s something in the list above, or a sport, or an activity, or playing with your kids/grandkids/pets. Whatever it is, it’s your life, and it’s important. I want to use Pilates to help you do life better. Schedule a group class, a private session, or a duet, and let’s work together.