AnyBody Pilates

Greg arrived at my studio in pain, and in a wheelchair. 30 years ago, he broke his back during a "night jump" in Vietnam. A "night jump" is when a soldier jumps from a helicopter under cover of night, opens his/her parachute and blindly lands. Unable to see in the darkness, Greg hit the ground with his legs completely straight, sending a shock wave through his body, resulting in a debilitating spinal injury.

Amazingly, and after several surgeries, Greg was able to function quite well. He cycled, walked and gardened. But as the years went by, his spine began to shift, becoming so off-center it threw his entire body out of balance, eventually causing unbelievable shooting pain, paralysis in one leg and numbness in the other. At this point he became bed-ridden.

Three years passed. During those years he underwent countless tests and surgeries. He saw dozens of doctors and specialists. Finally, he found an excellent Physical Therapist who helped Greg get to the point where he could sit with minimal pain for an hour or two a day. This may sound like small potatoes. But imagine how freeing it would be to spend two hours a day sitting upright after spending more than three years lying in bed!

This is when I met Greg. Referred by his physical therapist, he came to me with the goal of living a more independent (and less painful) life. It was a slow and arduous process. When we started working together, Greg needed his wheelchair to move from one piece of equipment to the next. He was neither stable nor strong enough to walk even a few feet without the pain overwhelming him and his legs giving out. Initially, Greg's weekly lesson was only 20 minutes long. I taught him "Pre-Pilates", gentle strengthening and stabilizing exercises created by Joseph Pilates for people who are physically not ready to perform regular Pilates exercises. My main focus was to create more symmetry in his body, thus reducing his pain and increasing his stability and balance.

As Greg grew stronger, we increased his lessons from 20 minutes, once a week to 30 minute lessons, twice a week. He began performing regular Pilates exercises, and was strong enough to use some of the equipment. Although he still arrived and left my studio using his wheelchair, at this point, he was able to walk with a cane from one piece of equipment to another. He noticed his pain, although still present, had diminished in intensity. He also found himself able to sit in an upright position longer.

After several months of continued success, his training jumped up to 45 minute lessons, three times a week. At this point, Greg was able to perform exercises I never imagined he could. His progress was incredible! We were able to significantly increase the level of difficulty and complexity of his workout regimen. We added more resistance, increased repetitions, and introduced new and challenging exercises.

I will never forget the first time I saw Greg walk from his car to the studio. I felt so proud, and deeply moved. Although he still used his wheelchair for most activities, he was strong enough to go grocery shopping, run errands and go out to lunch with friends. Over the months, his stability and balance continued to improve, and his pain continued to lessen.

When Greg and I first met, he couldn't even walk around the block. Now, he walks 2+ miles a day, 3 or 4 days a week. He can take his dog for walks, and is gardening again. I am proud and happy to have played a part in Greg's story. He is truly an incredible human being with endless determination, focus and drive. He could have given up long ago, and resigned himself to a life of solitude and pain. Instead, he continues to rise above his injury, and work toward living a happy and independent life!

AnyBody Pilates

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

Greg's Case Study

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