P I L A T E S
How did I discover Pilates through severe back pain
1987 - 2009 Career
Before I teach Pilates I spent more than 20 years working in offices in front of a computer in Brazil and also in Ireland.
I studied 3 years Business Administration and another 3 year Information Technology in Brazil, so my career was pretty much sitting down indoors in a office.
2009 - 2016 Career change
But in 2009, I decided to have a huge change in my life. I did a course in Child Care, which was my passion at the time. I looked after wonderful babies from the age of 18 months to 30 months mainly in a lovely creche.
2009 - 2016 Fitness
All these years I engaged in different cardio activities to keep fit.
I was in the swimming club in West Wood gym in Clontarf that I used to go twice a week.
I loved running 10 Km every second day and I ran the Clontarf 1/2 marathon.
I used to also skip rope for an hour 5 days a week for quite a while.
Some weekends I did go cycling around 30 Km and also sea kayaking and paddle boarding for fun. :)
As strength training I was doing yoga classes, including the anti-gravity, even tried aerial hoop classes.
Unfortunately, my back was still having huge spasms, even with those lovely activities.
As a child I did 4 years of Ballet and played Volleyball at school.
2012 - 2016 Severe back pain
February 2012, I had my first and very severe back pain. It took me 3 weeks to recover. It was a huge shock for me. I was at work and could not move at all. With strong medication and rest I 'recovered'.
August 2013, I had another episode that took another 3 weeks for my body to recover.
My back was OK for a while.
In January 2015 I had another episode. The back spasms were so severe that it took me 3 months to recover this time.
My GP advised me to do Pilates, so after many physiotherapists sessions, being off work, dry needling sessions, MRI's, medications X-rays, I decided to hear her wonderful and the best advice to do Pilates.
I must confess it was so confusing as one doctor would say my back was healthy, then the physiotherapist would say I had a herniated disc, then another professional would say I had facet joint inflammation, bulging disc. You name it !!!
It was years trying to discover what was wrong with my body. Pretty much nothing that could not be fixed easily with some Pilates exercises, in my case.
May 2015, I enrolled myself into the Pilates teaching training.
April 2016, I still had my last severe back spasms as my core muscles were still weak. This time it took 3 months to recover and I was brought to the 24 hours emergency services with excruciating pain.
It was the worst pain ever.
It HURT TO BREATH !!!
The emergency doctor told me at this time that if I did not change my life I would end up in a wheel chair when I got old.
2015 - 2021 Pilates journey
When I enrolled to this Pilates teaching program, I had no idea what to expect.
I did Pilates classes before, however it was previous when I had severe back pain. And I was probably not doing it properly.
It was in my very first day of the class that I realized how POWERFUL the Pilates method is.
At this stage of my life, I used to get up of a chair as a very stiff person, like a 98 years old. I used to walk like a 'duck', I had no core stability.
I remember calling my partner at lunch time during the first class of the course, to let him know that my posture had improved INSTANTLY and I could get up from a chair.
My lower back and hip flexors were very weak and tight, the exercise ONE LEG CIRCLE, 'fixed it' straight away.
All these years I did not know what was wrong with my back or how I could fix it. Yes, I did hear about Pilates, but I was stubborn.
What I had was a very SIMPLE issue to fix: poor posture, weak muscles, especially the core, muscle imbalances, stress.
2016 - 2021 Career change
April 2016, my heart was broken, when I spoke to the emergency doctor and he told me I needed to change career.
The reality was I needed to changed the way I carried or moved my body or lifted weights. Just changing jobs was not enough.
So my Pilates journey began for real :)
I worked in this lovely creche with amazing people until April 2016.
July 2016 I started teaching Corporate Pilates.
Leaving the job that I loved had a huge toll in my MENTAL health. I have never felt that way before. It took me a while, but the PILATES exercises, especially the LATERAL THORACIC BREATHING helped me to recover mentally.
The mental health was not back to normal overnight, but the Pilates benefits build up and I started recognize that I always felt mentally great after the classes.
Helping others combined with getting stronger myself is what makes my job as a Pilates instructor wonderful.
I could go on and on with the Pilates benefits :), but for me I no longer have back pains or spasms and I am in a much better place mentally.
So that is my Pilates journey, that I felt the need to share with you, just to show you that poor posture, weak and imbalanced muscles or not knowing how to move your body or lift weights properly can affect your life.
Pilates is a wonderful method that will teach you all the above and also may help you with your mental health, so try it.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.
Have a wonderful day,
Rosane