How long have you been studying Pilates?
Karen: 6 years
Mary: 7 years
What brought you to Pilates?
Karen: I initially began Pilates because of a back injury. I had been going to a chiropractor for about three or four months and realized that although it was helping my pain, it was only a temporary fix. My husband had done Pilates before and it had helped his back tremendously. I really was attracted to the concept that I could heal my body, prevent further injuries, and also get in much better physical shape through Pilates. I am a competitive tennis player and I needed to find some kind of conditioning that would meet all of these criteria. Pilates fit the bill!
Mary: I originally took classes at the Abington Art Center with June Hines after my youngest child was born. My friend, Karen, knew how
much I had benefited from those classes so when she was looking for someone to take a weekly semi-private lesson with she asked me. We have been taking classes with Greg Elwell for 6 years.
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Swan on the Wunda Chair |
How has Pilates helped you?
Karen: First, it healed my lower back pain. When I first started pilates I could not perform even the single leg circles without feeling a click each time I circled my left leg and feeling exhausted after just doing 5 on each side. I had to be extremely slow and careful with all of my moves and Greg constantly adjusted and adapted the exercises to allow for my limitations. I am so happy to say that even though it took almost two or three years, by increasing my core strength gradually, I am now completely pain free in my lower back and it is something I never think about any longer.
Pilates has also allowed me to improve my tennis game. I am a competitive player on the adult women's USTA teams and I am always looking for ways to improve my strength and conditioning. Through Pilates I have been able to obtain greater rotation and power on my serve. It has also improved my muscle endurance, allowing me to play for a longer time without muscle fatigue or stiffness after.
Mary:
Pilates has helped me with numerous everyday activities. I walked my two big dogs (a chesapeake bay retriever and a golden retriever) and on occasion they would really pull. Muscle memory would take over, I'd instantly tighten my core and stop them in their tracks. This instinctual reaction has also helped with gardening especially these last few weeks as I work on my big mulch pile. I'm not very flexible but the combination of strength and stretching in Pilates works well for me. With the semi-private lesson each class is different and geared specifically to us. It could be any combination of the reformer, chair, mats or now the tower that we use, plus I'm with a good friend which keeps things interesting!
