Movement Heals What Hurts

One of my favourite quotes from Joseph Pilates is “Change happens through movement and movement heals.” It’s a simple statement but oh, so true! Physical activity and the right type of movement can improve even the most stubborn aches and pains while simultaneously making you stronger so the pain doesn’t come back. Our bodies are meant to move, and amazing things happen when we make the time to do just that. 

Joseph Pilates Saw It Coming

You may think that today’s society is the only sedentary one, but Joseph Pilates thought people were too inactive even in the 1930’s. In his books, Return to Life through Contrology, published in 1945, and Your Health, published in 1934, he shared his opinion that society was spending too much time sitting and hunched over desks or other machinery. If only he could see us now!

I think most of us realize that we sit too much, but we don’t really know how much of a problem it is. I talk to people every day who have random pains but don’t recognize that it’s from too much sitting, repetition, or lack of movement. Others still know why their body hurts, but they think one day a week of Pilates will fix everything. Pilates is amazing, but it isn’t magic! 

Let’s say you have a desk job plus a commute. You are going to be sitting the majority of the day, even if you take breaks. Then there is the repetition of typing, maybe holding the phone on one side, and very likely poor posture. Five days a week of this over many years is going to take its toll, though it could take time to manifest depending on your age and exercise habits. That back pain, tight hips, sore neck, limited shoulder mobility, headache, forward head posture, knee and/or foot pain wasn’t there when you started the job, was it?

The Solution? Movement!

Even though we can’t necessarily change how much we sit at work, you can counter the effects of it. The best part is that you don’t need to do equal parts sitting and exercising to benefit (phew!). Movement heals because you are stretching, mobilizing, and strengthening your body, and a little bit every day can create a big difference. 

Yes, you should move every day! This could mean a walk or bike ride; two short walks a day is great if you can’t do longer distances due to time or ability, and a stationary bike can be an excellent workout too. It’s also important to lift weights or do some kind of resistance training two to three times a week, and mobility work (like Pilates!) as much as you want. You can do mobility work daily, but three to four hours would be great, too. 

Can You Exercise While Injured or Sick?

Can you think back to a time when you were really sick or injured? I’m talking about when you had to spend days in bed, waiting for your body to get better. Now think about how stiff and achy your body was when you could finally get up and move again. Your body may have needed the rest to heal, but it suffered staying still for so long. Our bodies want to move.

Sometimes, not moving is the right answer. Many decades ago, doctors thought you should rest and be inactive if you were injured, after a surgery, or even while pregnant. While there are times that you should restrict your movement, for the most part, times have changed. These days, they have you walking out of the hospital the day after hip surgery! 

Definitely listen to your health professionals, but also know that you need to ask questions and advocate for yourself. My mom fell last year and was in pain for months. She finally went to the doctor who told her that she had soft tissue damage and healing would simply take time. He didn’t give her any ideas on how to speed her healing process. She eventually decided to see a physiotherapist and between the manual therapy and exercises they gave her, she is getting better and stronger. She’s even doing her Pilates once a week! 

My point is that movement heals in so many ways, and just “waiting” isn’t always the answer. Listen to your body, ask questions, and if you think something isn’t right, seek another opinion. 

When Movement Hurts

I have often seen clients that are afraid to move because something hurts. I get that pain doesn’t feel good, but I never used to understand this fear. I’ve been active my whole life and for the most part, if something hurt, I could move through it and I’d feel better after. That is, until I was in a LOT of pain. 

A few years ago I was in so much pain that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to run again. I knew that movement heals, but I had to start out cautiously. I didn’t want to make things worse, and since I had to reduce how much movement I did, I gained weight, lost strength, and was tighter than I’d ever been in my life. Everything was more difficult and my joints hurt.

Yes, movement hurt. What was the answer? Moving! But moving with focus and a plan. I did Pilates, strength workouts, and stretches with my physiotherapist’s advice. I’d try to run but stopped when the pain returned. So instead, I supplemented with spinning, walking, and adding more strength training. I also saw movement professionals in addition to my physiotherapist, including massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture. It took almost three years to be pain free again… And I’m going to keep moving so I never go back to that place!

Movement is a Lifelong Endeavour 

I used desk sitting as an example why many people have pain, but I’ve seen all sorts of people who hurt from their job or hobbies. Even the most athletic person can have overuse injuries and imbalances if they don’t work to correct them. In Pilates, I see how movement heals all sorts of people, including: 

• Truck drivers (more sitting!)
• Ultrasound technicians whose machines are set up in a way they can only use one side of their body.
• Softball players with back pain, hamstring tightness, and shoulder issues.
• Runners/hikers with plantar fasciitis, hip/back or hamstring pain, and achilles issues.
• Equestrians can have tight hips and back pain.
• Dancers with back pain, sore feet, and hypermobility.
• Golfers with back pain or lack of mobility on their non-dominant side. 

Our bodies are meant to move and the more you move, the better you will feel! I love Pilates because it gives you the stretch, mobility, and strengthening that you need as a base for other activities. Even better, it helps you to be much more aware of how you move your body, breathe, control, and focus.

The key is time and consistency. By making the right movement a part of your daily life, you will be able to do all the things you love for much longer. It may seem far off, but if you don’t stay strong and mobile, one day it may be hard for you to walk from your car to the grocery store or to bend over and put on your socks. Keep moving, my friends!