Pilates Fixed My Back Pain

Did you know that even Pilates instructors sometimes skip their workouts? It’s true. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t practice for just two weeks and ended up with pretty serious back pain. Not fun. Here is how I found my way back to the mat, and how Pilates fixed my back pain. 

A Happy Little Story About The Pain That Went Away

These days, my back is feeling amazing; but it wasn’t always that way. I have a natural tendency to be tight in my upper back, right between my shoulder blades. When I was in my teens and twenties, I would wake up in the morning and stretch my arms up or squeeze my shoulder blades together, and I’d feel a nice little pop in my spine. Ahhh, relief. 

Then came three babies and all of the back-straining lifting, holding, rocking, and falling asleep funny that comes with kids. Add in running and teaching fitness classes with VERY little stretching (bad, Melissa!), and that mid-back tightness got even tighter. The days of stretching for that “pop” of relief were gone. 

Once I discovered Pilates, however, I started seeing improvements. My back was less tight, the “pop” returned, and all was well in the world. 

(And Then It Came Back)

After spending several days sitting around, watching TV, and scrolling social media trying to keep up with what is happening in the world, I lost the “pop” again. But this time, it was bad. Normally a bit of stretching will relieve the tightness, but not this time. That’s because while I was still working out, I had skipped my Pilates practice for a couple of weeks, and now I was paying for it. I was in so much pain that I had to be careful of how I moved. I hadn’t been listening to my body like I normally do. 

How Pilates Fixed My Back Pain

On March 18, two days after temporarily closing my studio to maintain social distancing, I decided to offer free Pilates and workouts on Zoom at 9am every morning. Four days a week I lead a Pilates class, and two days a week it is strength workouts. It has been just over three weeks since I welcomed Pilates back into my life, and my back is happy again. There is even a double pop sometimes! 

I don’t want to downplay the importance of my other activities, like the strength workouts I teach, the running I do, or the online HIIT classes I take part in online with my gym. Cross-training is so important to keep your body happy and fit. But what I do know is that when I took a short break from Pilates, my back started hurting… and then Pilates fixed my back pain when I resumed my practice. 

The Surprising Moral Of The Story

While I believe that almost anyone can benefit from Pilates, that isn’t the point of the story. I want to inspire you to keep moving and to listen to what your body tells you. In my daily Zoom classes, I encourage you to try YOUR best. Try the full version of the exercise, and dial back with modifications as you need to. Play with the exercises and learn from how your body responds and feels. Discover what works for you and your body. 

My body is telling me that I need Pilates to keep me flexible and mobile. I am also feeling better throughout the day because I started it with movement. If you want to join me on Zoom, each Sunday I’ll email the link personally to my newsletter subscribers (sign up at the bottom of my home page). You also get access to all of the workouts (and more!) if you subscribe to the b.PILATES & FITNESS App. The App is a growing library of online mat classes and online workouts that you can easily do from home. 

However you join in, I can’t wait to see you. These morning “get togethers” have become a bright start to my day.