Pilates exercises can be modified for most physical conditions.

In 2002, Jane told me about her scleroderma condition, an arthritic autoimmune disease that attacks organs and makes them fibrotic.  The skin being the most obvious.  She has written a book titled The Wizard Within, telling of her experience.  When she started to work out, her ability to smile had left her face and her hands and feet were also beginning to stiffen.  As the disease progressed to her lungs she was eligible for an adult stem cell transplant operation with stem cells harvested from her own body

I decided to get her moving to see if we could  maintain her mobility. At that time she was still working as a music teacher at a local high school here in New Jersey.  I had a reformer in my home as I had a private studio in Manhattan. I now have a larger studio I opened in 2006 here in Maplewood.

Jane performed Basic Reformer exercises twice a week for 2 months.  We started out slow.  Jane seemed quite happy to see what was possible and what she had difficulty with, which we would then work to improve.

“I had always hated exercise because it was boring...  I couldn’t wait to come back.

 Jane’s left side did not respond as well as her right.  We noticed working on the short box with the pole was a great benefit to her breathing.  The side bends were like rowing.  So she tried to Kayak with a friend.  She was afraid  to get out of the Kayak, that was the big problem.  So we started doing triceps dips inside the well of the reformer to lift herself out of the kayak.  Within no time she bought a Kayak and started to row. This was in 2003.

“I didn’t know how to communicate with my body... you were able to make me understand...it was all mental... 

We added basic mat exercises.  Simple  neck rolls, easing up and then practicing the roll down with bent knees lying down against the Spine Corrector. Then single leg circles with one knee bent and her  foot on the floor. We started the Stomach Series, the first 2 exercises (modified of course), with a pillow under her head, and bent knees, graduating to Russian kicks (modified Criss-Cross, w/ arms crossed). Later we added the side series.  This sometimes took us 25 minutes to half an hour just for the mat exercises.

Throughout all I was very patient and actually holding her back a bit because she was determined to work so hard. She was motivated.

“This was a whole new world to me and to experience success mentally and physically...

Unfortunately by 2004, her lungs were failing from the disease.  We would walk around a neighborhood track and I would carry her oxygen tank taking up to 30 minutes doing a mile.  We were getting her strength up for the operation.

Stem cell transplant

  In Summer 2005, Jane had to leave work and then get permission for the stem cell transplant and find funding, but that is another part of her story. 

After the transplant, and time to recover we began again when she was able to receive outside visitors.  She had been in a bubble for a sterile environment.  We would have to start from scratch.

Starting over!

In the Fall of 2005 we started with the seated chair exercises,  this was quite exhausting for her.  We kept at it.  Footwork on and off the floor with  knees bending  to raise  up the legs, just resisting gravity and stretching her calves.  We progressed to standing  leg  lifts and side leg lifts, while supported by the chair.  We addded seated foot exercises for the arches and toe. She enjoyed the footwork, so much that she excelled.  In less than 3 months we were back on the mat.

Breathing!

 Still her breathing was shallow.  We put her over the mini barrel with  a pillow under her head and started to open up her chest passively.  Her breathing improved  audibly immediately.  Deeper and clearer. We started breathing exercises on the barrel.  Really,  the difference was night and day. She now owns her own Arc barrel/Spine Corrector. 

Grandma Jane!

We get her back to moving and breathing.  This is wonderful.  She can perform the tree!  She remarked that she could now shave her legs easily.  Many things were improving in her daily life.  By 2007 she was performing Reformer Duets with a friend.  Now in 2009 she works out in Pilates Trio session twice a week.

Just this summer she walked uphill in the pouring rain and kept up with the grandchildren on their bicycles.  Which would have been unimaginable.

Pilates for everyone!

Certainly a person should get their Doctor’s approval before starting any exercise program and a list of contraindicated exercises for their condition if there is a health concern or previous injury.

Pilates can be modified for most people and get them moving and feeling better.  This will contribute to faster recuperation as well.

Pilates and chronic back pain....a success story.

In the Fall of 2008, Scott had been in such back pain that he was confined to a couch.  He was having pain due to a herniated disc that radiated from his lower back and shot down the side of his leg.  He was hesitant to move.   Scott had tried going to Doctors, Chiropractors, and Physical Therapy but he was not getting any lasting relief.  Desperate for relief and a solution to his condition he thought he would try Pilates. As he was overweight and did not enjoy exercise, he was reluctant at first. 

Scott also said that he thought Pilates was only for women,  as all the images he’d seen were of girls  in two piece swimsuits with perfect Abs.   It was only through his wife’s insistence  and his own frustration with his situation that he finally came to see me. 

At first he was afraid to move at all.  We started all movements very slowly on the Pilates Table or Cadillac as is perfect for a person with pain concerns.

The Cadillac is based on a four poster hospital bed.   While holding onto a Roll Down Bar, (a bar with springs) to lower his back down on the table gently and  working his abdominal muscles, lying down on  his back one bone of his spine at a time, he could control the descent with the bar. The spring’s resistance helped him to come back up without straining his back.   This way he was able to trust and relax his body.  

Next we had Scott lie down on a Pilates Reformer, again this was comfortable for  his back, Scott was able to press his body weight on a platform against the resistance of springs, stretching out the back of  his legs in the process.  We performed 10 repetitions with  4 different foot positions. This strengthened his thighs and lower legs while stretching out his calves.  Scott had very developed (tight) calf muscles.  He was not very active, yet he would tighten his lower legs when he worked at his desk, this  was a place where he held tension. 

We then had him seated on the reformer again stretching out his legs, but  this time stretching out his lower back and bending his  knees with his torso in a flexed position. In a Modified position of course. (Stomach Massage Series).   We respected his concerns about any back pain and we were able to add some small torso rotations or twists. We added standing stretches at the ladder barrel, on the ladder side and then the standing tree stretches on the barrel side. In my opinion this apparatus is under utilized.  Lastly we went back to the Cadillac and had  Scott lying supine stretching his hamstrings while pushing his right foot up against the Tower. (Monkey position)  Before we knew it his first session was over.  

This feels good!

When Scott came to his next session, we made an agreement that at the onset of any pain we would stop and  move on to something else, to return to that movement at another time.  This way the following sessions proved to be helpful to relieve his fear and discomfort.  After 5 sessions he acknowledged that he was feeling much better and his confidence had improved.  We continued to take care not to push him and respect his pain.

Scott continued to feel better with each subsequent session.  Movements that he was afraid of performing were  now easy to accomplish.   We continued to perform exercises to stretch his hamstrings and loosen up his lower back.  He was able to straighten out his legs much more easily, and more importantly he could play with his young son without fear of recurring back pain.

Success!

To see Scott a year later is to see a new man.  He can now move freely and perform challenging exercises easily.  He can go on with his life without having back pain for long periods of time.   He had one reoccurrence of back pain, which he was able to manage by stretching at home daily and he was fine after only one week of pain. We began  with 3 private  sessions a week to start for one month then two sessions a week for another three months.  He continues to have a session (he can work in a Trio setting) at least once a week sometimes, twice whenever he can.

Not enough men take advantage of Pilates as a method of Body Conditioning.  Joseph Pilates was a boxer, and New York City dancers and choreographers first recognized his Method as a perfect way to heal injuries and get themselves in better shape for their performances.  Pilates is excellent for toning the entire body, so people look incredibly fit.  The Pilates Method is intended to enhance all aspects of a person’s life physically, (being stronger and more flexible), and mentally (developing greater control over the mind and body).                                                                                                             the Fall of 2008, Scott had been in such back pain that he was confined to a couch.  He was having pain due to a herniated disc that radiated from his lower back and shot down the side of his leg.  He was hesitant to move.   Scott had tried going to Doctors, Chiropractors, and Physical Therapy but he was not getting any lasting relief.  Desperate for relief and a solution to his condition he thought he would try Pilates. As he was overweight and did not enjoy exercise, he was reluctant at first. 

Scott also said that he thought Pilates was only for women,  as all the images he’d seen were of girls  in two piece swimsuits with perfect Abs.   It was only through his wife’s insistence  and his own frustration with his situation that he finally came to see me. 

At first he was afraid to move at all.  We started all movements very slowly on the Pilates Table or Cadillac as is perfect for a person with pain concerns.The Cadillac is based on a four poster hospital bed.   While holding onto a Roll Down Bar, (a bar with springs) to lower his back down on the table gently and  working his abdominal muscles, lying down on his back one bone of his spine at a time, he could control the descent with the bar. The spring’s resistance helped him to come back up without straining his back.   This way he was able to trust and relax his body.  

Next we had Scott lie down on a Pilates Reformer, again this was comfortable for  his back, Scott was able to press his body weight on a platform against the resistance of springs, stretching out the back of  his legs in the process.  We performed 10 repetitions with  4 different foot positions. This strengthened his thighs and lower legs while stretching out his calves.  Scott had very developed (tight) calf muscles.  He was not very active, yet he would tighten his lower legs when he worked at his desk, this  was a place where he held tension. 

We then had him seated on the reformer again stretching out his legs, but  this time stretching out his lower back and bending his  knees with his torso in a flexed position. In a Modified position of course. (Stomach Massage Series).   We respected his concerns about any back pain and we were able to add some small torso rotations or twists.