This was Betsy before joining an Elevate Pilates mat class:
Low Back Pain: morning, noon and night. This was the everyday reality for Betsy. Even with an active lifestyle including yoga and dance, low back pain was a continual un-welcomed companion. It drained her energy, stole her sleep, and interrupted most everything.
On a pain scale of 1-10, 10 being high,
she awoke daily at a 7
throughout her day
her pain remained at 4-5.
At night she had to sleep in very specific positions without much tossing and turning, otherwise her morning and daytime pain levels spiked even higher.
Then Betsy joined an Elevate Pilates mat class:
In class, she began by learning a step-by-step approach to finding and activating the "Scoop" of her Powerhouse: the lumbo-pelvic hip complex. The Scoop is a key concept in Pilates, one that differentiates Pilates from every other form of movement training.
At Elevate Pilates we make sure not to skip over the critical steps of learning how to:
1. find your Scoop
2. sustain your Scoop
3. breath with your Scoop
4. utilize your Scoop while moving
Through the Pilates mat class, Betsy worked to strengthen her Powerhouse with proper alignment and easeful breathing.
Between classes Betsy began to integrate into daily living the key steps of finding, sustaining, and breathing with her Scoop.
Within a matter of weeks her low back pain was decreasing, both in the morning and throughout the day.
Bye Bye Low Back Pain
Today, after just 9 Pilates mat classes, Betsy saying Bye Bye to her low back pain.
In the morning she wakes at a pain level of only a 3.
Throughout the day her pain levels are at 1 = just minor discomfort.
At night she is sleeping more comfortably and with greater ease.
"I know your Pilates instruction has made a HUGE difference in how I feel, work, and live this year. THANK you." Betsy
Current research is showing a direct connection between low back pain and the need for functional strength and alignment of the core and pelvic floor.
Pilates exercises are designed to strengthen core support, develop pelvic floor muscles, clarify connections in the lumbo-pelvic hip complex, teach functional alignment, and provide gentle stretches to low back muscles.
At Elevate Pilates, we are thrilled to share stories like Betsy's. Not because they happen once in awhile, but because they happen all the time.
When low back pain decreases, energy levels rise, sleep improves, and a person's capacity for resiliency expands.
As Joe Pilates said best in his book Return to Life
"You don't do Pilates to do Pilates, you do Pilates to make your life work better."
For more information about how to start saying Bye Bye to low back pain, reach out to us at Dannell@ElevatePilates.com or check out our current list of Pilates mat classes here.
Real Results is a series of articles about the real-life impacts we are seeing in Elevate Pilates' clients who are participating in the body-mind practice of Pilates with our Certified Trainer, Dannell Shu.
