Moving Freely With Pilates It has been said that the health of the body is reflected in the health
of the spine. Yes, and it is also true that the support of the spine
and the body comes from the abdominal core. To move in and with the
body, we need the integration of both. This is why I love functional
training and Pilates so much. These two basic principles are the key
to both fitness disciplines and I've been teaching and preaching them
to my students and clients in every aspect of their training.
I met Tina Jacobowitz, Ph.D, Professor of Education at Montclair State
University, about six years ago as one of my first personal training
clients. She had been working out in the gym for about nine years,
and states "about eight of them with personal trainers." Tina began
training privately with me in my Pilates Studio in the Spring of 2006.
She was led to the discipline of fitness and personal training as a
result of her spinal injuries. She  suffered with scoliosis
and has had three back surgical procedures. 
suffered with scoliosis
and has had three back surgical procedures. Her spine is
totally fused. Tina states, " I have a great deal of pain as a result
and I find that supervised training allows me to exercise safely and
appropriately. I also knew that if I hired a personal trainer I would
be more likely to exercise." I
definitely have less back pain since I started doing Pilates. In fact, it has had the greatest impact on reducing
my pain of all the fitness activities I've done. I noticed a difference
after the first session.
She knows that to say flexible in her body, she needs to move, and
regularly. Tina is no slouch either. "I bike ride and swim in the
spring and summer. I also do Yamuna Body Rolling using balls about
once a week and I get a full body massage once a week." Tina says she noticed some remarkable changes with both Pilates and Body Ball Rolling, which we do together once a week.
I continue to see a difference in how I walk
and hold myself. I'm more conscious of holding in my abdominal muscles
and this helps reduce pain and makes me walk taller." "I
can now climb steps standing much taller when I remember to tighten my
core. If I don't remember, I tend to walk bent over. People have
been telling me that I'm walking straighter. I can walk longer
distances on the treadmill and I also feel more flexible and find it
easier to bend down. Getting out of a chair is also a lot easier."
When asked what continues to challenge her? Tina replied, "Well,
I still have back pain when I walk without any support, like a shopping
cart or someone's arm. ( I can walk on the treadmill because I can hold
on and that takes the pressure off my back.) I've started doing mat
Pilates on my own and I find it harder than using the reformer but I
also find that it works my stomach muscles more. I felt some
contraction in my abdominal muscles for about two days after doing some
of the mat exercises. My goal was to
strengthen my core muscles in order to reduce back pain. I still have a
long way to go, but I'm more motivated to do Pilates because I see and
feel results."
For
someone like me, it's important that I work with a trainer like Gina,
who is able to modify my gym work and Pilates work to suit my body and
capabilities.
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