My Pilates Story
I found Pilates 10 years ago as a rehabilitation tool. I was a runner. I ran every day, often with weight and I was 'running fit'. Then one day on a gentle run I felt a sudden pain in my hip. On closer investigation it turned out to be a pretty serious overload injury requiring surgery and removal of bone. During my lengthy rehabilitation I was given Pilates exercises and initially I couldn’t get my head around them. I felt I wasn’t working hard enough, I wasn’t out of breath and I wasn’t covered in sweat, yet after every session I felt like I’d been given pain relieving medication and my mood lifted. I gained strength in areas that had long been neglected and corrected the imbalances that had developed over years of doing the same exercise routine. It didn’t take long for me to become a convert, so much so that I decided to train to be an instructor. Now everything has improved, my surfing skills are still pretty terrible but the ‘pop’ is there where it wasn’t before, I can handstand – and hold it – I couldn’t do that before, and more important than anything else, I am no longer in constant pain, my posture is better and I feel really good!
Sports Therapist
Outside of my day job I spent 14 years working as a Sports Therapist with rugby teams and the local Crossfit box advising on injury management and providing sports massage. This has given me a real insight into the human body and the mind of the sportsperson and I take all this into account during my Pilates lessons. Pilates itself is a great form of rehabilitation if you’re injured. I also have a degree in Biology; it’s surprising how often I refer back to it, especially when working with people with health issues.
