My introduction into Pilates was entirely rehabilitative. It was prescribed to me by my orthopedic surgeon alongside my physical therapy sessions. At the time there was no Pilates as “fitness” to speak of. When I begin teaching it was still pretty unknown and most of the clients were there for rehab and help with chronic pain and recovery from injuries. My first job was in a chiropractic office and I worked with people who’d just been in auto accidents or had herniated discs or sciatica.
After a few years Pilates began to grow in popularity. There began to be a mix of people looking for fitness alongside the existing rehab and back/neck/hip/shoulder pain people. But it was still really known for being excellent for people with “issues”. Fast forward many years and now everyone “knows” Pilates. Unfortunately they have an idea that you have to be “fit” to do it. “Pilates is so hard! I could never do it!” is something that I’ve heard too many times. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The idea that you have to already be “fit” to do Pilates is just not true. And what the heck is “fit” anyway? Being thin doesn’t mean you’re fit. Being “overweight” doesn’t mean you are not fit. Having a “toned” body is not necessarily a sign of actual fitness. What a body looks like isn’t nearly as important as how a body functions. I’ve worked with people who “looked fit” but were crippled by pain and struggling with basic functional movement. If you want to be able to move and live and be in a body that is capable of doing the things that you want and need to do it is far more beneficial to focus on movement than looks. Doing something to get “ripped” arms and “tight” abs might not be the answer. And you certainly don’t need those to start doing Pilates!
I enjoy working with athletes and very active people. Pilates compliments all sports and physical activities and can give balance to your body as a cross training addition. But I love teaching people who don’t already have movement or exercise in their life. I’m thrilled to work with people who are “out of shape” or even intimidated to approach a fitness experience. And this is because Pilates is for those people too!
The Pilates method is designed to teach every body how to move well. If your back is tight there are wonderful exercises that will help loosen it up and strengthen you at the same time. If you’ve been sitting at a desk for years and feel that your posture is “terrible” there are exercises that will open up your chest and strengthen the muscles of your back to help you stand up straighter. If you have had sciatica pain for months or years there are gentle exercises that will move your hip joints and stretch tight muscles to give you relief from pain and build up deep muscles that create the stability that the hips and spine need.
I will support you in achieving your goals whatever they are. If you want to get out of pain Pilates is for you. If you want to improve your posture and balance it’s for you. If you are training for a marathon I can help you improve your running and give your body the flexibility and balance it needs to withstand intense training. If you want to do Netflix marathons without feeling stiff afterwards we can do that too!
There’s no one way to be fit. Fitness means function and we’ve all got different lives with different demands. Pilates can give you the exact workout that you need for whatever you’re going through or doing in life or hoping to do. Pilates will fit your needs. You don’t need to fit any image or outfit to do Pilates! It’s my job to help Pilates fit you!
Solara Pilates 