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When a woman my age makes reference to height change, your immediate thought is that she has shrunk. But, because of Pilates I'm now 3/4" taller.
No one was more surprised than I, when told that my bone density exam not only showed improvement, but that I'm now 3/4" taller! My thought, upon hearing "connect with your core", was that "I'm not even on speaking terms with my core!" Now, though, Pilates has changed all that. ~Nancy K. Pilates came into my life as a fluke. Beginning with a gift to my grandson to encourage an alternate to video games, it has become my single most important lifestyle habit. Ten years after surviving a stroke, at 65, Pilates became part of my life. Balance and to a lesser extent, walking, remained a challenge after rehab. Attending the 10 Pilates classes with my grandson showed a slight improvement. I stuck with it. Gains were slow but steady. Body Fat: a morbidly obese 36% down to 24% (measure by Bod Pod); Belt Size: 38 to 32; Walking: with deliberate steps to anything under 3 miles routine; Sleep: from 5 to 6 hours to a firm 7 to 8; Balance: from poor to very good (still slowly improving); Mental attitude - Superior. I stuck with it. My major contribution was showing up. All else was the teaching. This is my 82nd birthday. By any standard my life condition far surpasses my peers. Nothing hurts. Everything works. ~Lou M. |
On August 1, 2013 I had repair surgery on medial and lateral meniscus. The scope also revealed lateral compartment degenerative joint disease and Patellofemoral chondromalacia. Repairs were successful and the last instructions from the doctor were to do the physical therapy and don't gain weight. My age of 69 was not in my favor.
I joined the gym where the physical therapy had been given and after 5 months found no improvement on pain levels when stepping up from the patio or on stairs. During an open house at Health for Life, I met Leah Sine. Dr. Morin had directed me to her because of all the pain resulting from knee bending action. Leah pointed out that the muscles needed to be strengthened to keep the bones from rubbing on each other. The instructors worked closely with me explaining which muscles to contract or release to develop the necessary strength to reduce the pain. After a year and two months, I am able to climb stairs, stand up from chairs and walk without pain. My back has strengthened. I breathe deeper. Physically this has been extremely beneficial. The benefits are not just the technique but how the instructors work closely with the clients considering their physical limitations and how to help them correct the problem or work around it. The two main objectives I had going in were to strengthen my knees and my lower back. I plan to continue to keep from ending up in a walker or wheel chair. ~Janiene J. |