A Pilates Journey with Multiple Sclerosis
I share here a personal account of an individual with Multiple Sclerosis whose life has been positively impacted with Pilates.
” In twenty years of having MS (multiple sclerosis), I have tried everything. Pilates was new to me.
The results were not overnight. It has been just a year and I can feel it working….”
How Things Look
I often point out to my clients and students, ‘To make a movement look easy and simple requires a lot of work. Don’t judge an exercise by how it looks.’
Exercises that look fluid and easy, even graceful, often tempt us into wanting to try the same. We overlook the work and time required to reach that level - to make the movement look like that.
Workout for Strength, Not Stress
We have been so deeply conditioned by the ‘no pain, no gain’ workout philosophy that anything less does not feel like a workout.
Why do we feel the need to associate our workout efforts with a negative emotion?
Instead, why do we not choose positive emotions such as strength and energy to reflect our efforts?
What should I eat?
It’s important to find a healthy balance between your eating habits and fitness program. It’s really a loop – where one fuels the other. You need to eat adequately to maintain energy levels, stay healthy and achieve your fitness and weight goals.
The Power of Breathing
Our breath can have a profoundly positive impact on our bodies. Conscious, aware breathing can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve focus and concentration, increase energy levels, lead to faster recovery from fatigue. I could go on!
Consistency is Key
Consistency is really the key starting point to achieving results in your exercise program; in anything in life actually! After all, no work-out is going to give you results if you don’t actually do it.