Does anyone partake in Pilates?

[thebadchemist]

So, my new thing is Pilates. I need to build up my core strength, as I've been dealing with a painful lower back lately. General exercise and weight lifting has cured the back pain, but I worry that I'm not balancing out the weights enough, so I opted for Pilates. I haven't been doing it long, but I'm doing it with a good friend and it's fun. I think it's working. Currently, everything hurts and I think my body wants to slump over because remaining upright requires some effort. 

Is anyone into Pilates? I just wanted to talk about it and hear other people's experiences with it. Any tips or new things to try? Tell me that the soreness will go away and I'll be able to roll from a sitting ball position onto my back and back up without using my hands someday!

My favorite moment so far is sitting with my legs straight out in front of me. We put our arms straight out at shoulder level and have to lower ourselves down to a laying down position as slowly as possible. I was going and going until I realized my abs weren't going to hold up. My instructor told us that once we couldn't anymore, we could use our hands for support and lay down. I was almost there and let go, thinking that my head would just hit the mat. Except I wasn't positioned on the mat very well and my head slammed into the wood floor. Owwww. I just started cracking up in the middle of class.

[kingsrings]

I've done Pilates occassionally and would do it more often if my health club offered more of the classes. I really like it, especially the strengthening and toning part. You might also want to try yoga for your back problems. Yoga has cured a lot of back problems, even scoliosis.

[JoyinVirginia]

I do pilates and power yoga - you go thru the poses quickly and it incorporates some pilates depending on the teacher. I really like both. I find it helps to vary the workouts or exercises I do, that keeps it from being boring and helps me stay motivated to keep going to classes. I go to the local YMCA, and really like the teachers they have.
Yes, your abdominals will stop being sore - but then if you go more than a week between classes, those muscles will hurt a bit again - not as much as at first, but some.
joy in Virginia

[Sandi Papaya]

You might also want to try yoga for your back problems. Yoga has cured a lot of back problems, even scoliosis.

maybe mild cases of scoliosis, but a congenital and severe case of scoliosis (like mine) requires a lot more medical intervention and such than your average minor lateral curvature.

I've had a million people tell me to take yoga, go to a chiropractor, etc etc etc. They mean well, but they don't realize that a) a chiropractor could, quite literally, kill me and b) while yoga might help my spine some (I don't really have many problems with pain, I think because I'm so used to being that way), it's not a cure-all and is definitely not going to cure a case of severe scoliosis on its own.

In fact, as a lifelong scoliosis patient, I would recommend that anyone who DOES have even the slightest case of scoliosis check with an orthopedist before beginning any kind of exercise programs like yoga or Pilates. Not to pour cold water on your idea, kingsrings, it's an excellent suggestion, but it's always a good idea to check with your doctor if you have even a slight scoliosis problem, because you could end up doing more harm than good to your spine. A good yoga or Pilates instructor will have knowledge and training in how to deal with these problems and will help you modify the exercises so you derive the maximum benefit from your training regimen while not doing any undue harm to your spine (at least I hope - one yoga instructor I went to was completely clueless about how to deal with my condition, so I quit the class after one session. I'm not easily discouraged, but, "I really don't know how to deal with someone with such a bad spine," will do a lot to kill your self-esteem - and your desire to take another class).

I'm actually thinking of asking my orthopedist if, once my neck and upper spine heal up completely, I could take up something like yoga or Pilates to build up my strength. My stamina level is nowhere near where it used to be and I tire easily after almost any activity, something I'm really not used to. I know I'll have to start small, like maybe walking short distances every day or something, but once I get stronger I'd like to take up something like yoga, because it's relaxing and I know it won't bore me half to death like walking on a treadmill.

Tell me how it works out for you, thebadchemist. I'd like to know if it's something worth trying to rebuild my strength.

[thebadchemist]

I hope everything is going well, MsMoonbunny! I'm glad to hear the halo's off. Will there be a lot of physical therapy involved in the post-halo recovery process?

I came close to scoliosis when I was younger (my posture was a mess and they noticed that my spine was starting to curve), so even though it was all corrected before it developed into scoliosis, I still have posture/alignment issues. The one thing I liked about Pilates is that it forces you to really think about where your shoulders, back, and hips are. I slouch, I slump, I even sit with my spine in a curve sometimes, so it keeps me aware of where everything is and to keep it all aligned.

I believe there are plenty of exercises that wouldn't aggravate your spine too much, although I can't say I know a lot about it, being a newbie and all. I know someone with a lot of joint and muscle problems and she hired a personal trainer who had an extensive background in physiology, so she understood the mechanics of the body and how Pilates affected it. You might have to go to a Pilates studio versus a 24 Hr. Fitness to get more specialized instruction, but it definitely exists.

It does, however, build up strength. I used to swim competitively and I thought it was funny how some of the hardest dryland exercises are also in Pilates. Having done that, I'm also used to a more cardio-based and aggressive workout. I don't have a lot of patience for things that involve poses and stretching... until this. It doesn't look like you're moving much, but in the middle of it, you realize that you're sweating buckets. I don't like being sore, but my abs are sore from side to side and from sternum down to below my belly button. I know I'm getting a more thorough workout of each muscle group than if I lifted weights or stuck to more classic calisthenic exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, etc. It also builds your stamina, too, so that's another plus.

Speaking of swimming, there are a lot of great water workouts that are very low-impact and could help build stamina without putting a lot strain on the ol' body.

Good luck with everything!

[Oxymoroness]

Is anyone into Pilates?

I've tried it and a few other programs like it, but it quickly became pretty non-effective for me. I'm a lot more flexible and strong for my height and weight so it seems like the more "gentle" exercises stop working for me sooner than later. My next attempt will be a cardio belly dancing DVD I'm borrowing from a person at work. Seems pretty appropriate since I have quite a bit of belly to dance! 

[NOVA Lady]

I do Pilates and I really like it. I started for the same reason as you, I have a ton of back pain and I wanted to strengthen my abs to take some of the pressure off of my lower back. It was actually really helped for that. I started in a gym class but now mostly do DVDs at home.

As a side tip for you a fellow back pain sufferer I strongly recommend you get one of those giant inflatable balls to work out on/with. Crunched and things like that would KILL my back, but on the ball (which is rounded like the small of the back) it is so much less painful and stressful on my back to do it. Plus you can just sit on the ball while watching TV and by simply balancing yourself with your abs you're getting a slight workout.

[Sandi Papaya]

I hope everything is going well, MsMoonbunny! I'm glad to hear the halo's off. Will there be a lot of physical therapy involved in the post-halo recovery process?

actually, no, all I really need is for my neck to gain its strength back, and the way to do that (which is painful but effective) is to get the muscles stronger by making it do its job (ie, holding up my head). It's still slightly sore, and I wake up with a stiff neck most mornings, but it's getting better slowly.

One of the good things about it is that the weaker side of my neck (the left) is having to overcompensate for what used to be the stronger side (the right), so it's helped make me very conscious of my posture and alignment - I have a natural tendency to cock my head slightly because the muscles in the left side of my neck were weakened by my curvature, but now I can hold my head straight without too many problems. I need something like yoga or Pilates to keep me conscious of my posture, too, because I tend to hunch, and my back is in bad enough shape!

But I'm doing pretty well, regardless. Once I'm better and stronger, I'm thinking of all the options I could take to stay in shape and help keep my back fairly healthy just so this doesn't have a snowball effect on me.