Movement Heals

Once upon a time, if you were injured, had surgery, or were dealing with muscle aches and pain, you were told to rest and do nothing. My grandmother was hit by a motorcycle as a little girl and had to spend months in bed recovering. Today, we know that “motion is lotion”, and movement helps you heal. After surgery they will often have you getting up and walking in 24 to 48 hours. And for injuries or muscle pain, physiotherapists give you stretches, and mobility and strength exercises to keep you moving. Staying strong and correcting imbalances in strength and mobility will help you heal and avoid future injury. 

Joseph Pilates also believed that movement was a very important aspect to life. He said “Change happens through movement and movement heals,” and I know from personal experience that he is right. 

My Own Reminder that Movement Heals

Earlier this week, right before heading out for holidays, I bent over to sort my laundry and my lower back spasmed. I had been dealing with tightness through my right side on and off for weeks, and kept being able to stretch it out and feel better. After long days of teaching I was finding it extra tight and sore at the end of the day. My body was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t listen.

The back pain was not fun. Getting up from sitting, laying down, rolling over in bed, and bending over were so painful. We still went on our vacation and I did stretches as often as I could – on our stops, in the hotel room, in bed, and while walking. On day two, we hit the gym where I did a short walk on the treadmill, some stretching and mobility work, and a little bit of weight lifting. The hot tub and steam room helped a bit, too, but I was still very stiff and sore. 

Day three saw us trek halfway up Blackcomb Mountain. It’s a tough hike that gets you out of breath and fatigues your legs. Interestingly, on our way back, the pain had started to lessen. Then we spent nearly four hours at the Scandinave Spa, alternating between hot tubs, steam rooms, cold dips, and simply relaxing in the beautiful setting. Slowly things were getting better, but nowhere near close to normal. 

Whenever I go to Whistler, I try to get in a session or two at Whistler Pilates. On day four of our trip, I ended up joining a woman who was preparing for her final test of her teacher training program. It was a great reformer workout that made me feel so much better! We also did a lot of walking that day, and by the end,my back was no longer aching and sleeping was more comfortable.

I decided that since Pilates worked so well the day before, I’d go back to the studio to do my own workout. I put myself through a reformer workout, did a little bit of ladder barrel, and finished off with the cadillac. Monkey was lovely and so helpful to open up my back. 

Listen to Your Body

It can almost be scary to move when your body is in a lot of pain. I know I didn’t want to move and set off another spasm, but I trusted my knowledge. When I’m injured, I try to listen to my body and pay attention to how I’m moving. I found that by doing Pilates in the traditional order, my body was prepped for the later exercises. Because I was warmed up, I could even do some more advanced exercises without pain. 

If I had avoided moving, I know I’d still be in pain right now. Even though I don’t always practice what I preach, I’m so happy to have the knowledge of movement – and my body always finds a way to tell me when I need to step up my game.