One Common Goal: To Move Better

My love of Pilates stems from a belief that everyone deserves to move with freedom, confidence and trust in their body. Working as a Physio for almost 20 years, I have had the privilege of treating a huge number of patients. Whilst they have come from all walks of life, and with all varieties of injury, illness and disability, they all have one common goal – and that is to move better. For some, that means getting back on to the sporting field without injury, for others it means learning to walk again after a stroke. But no matter what the injury or illness, the same basic desire to move was the driving force behind treatment.

Movement Is Instinctive

This desire to move is instinctive and inherent – we are born with it. You only need to watch a 6 month old’s determination to learn to sit, stand or crawl and you can see our human instinct for movement in its purest form. When we are lucky enough to experience movement without pain or restriction, we take it for granted. But take that freedom away and we suddenly realise the impact it has on our life. For some, the freedom of movement is suddenly stripped from us in the form of an accident or illness. In these cases the importance of movement and how it impacts every corner of our life becomes apparent very quickly and suddenly.

But for many, the change happens more gradually and often without our awareness. We stop making movement a priority. We start working longer hours. Our time is eaten up with family and social commitments. We blame our low energy on our long commute. We blame our stress levels on the pressure of family life. We blame our headaches on the computer screen. And we forget or ignore our basic instinct to move. Until one day, we notice that we can’t get up and out of bed as easily as we used to. Or we can’t stand on one leg and balance to put our socks on anymore. Or we simply realise that we feel 60 years old – despite only being 40.

We Need To Move Well To Live Well

This is what I see in my clinic every day. Clients commenting that their energy is low, that they feel old. Many have background injuries and some even have illness. But the one prevailing factor that is common in most, is they have forgotten the importance of movement. And that is what drives my passion for combining Pilates with my Physiotherapy treatment.

Physiotherapy can get these clients feeling better in the short term – but Pilates can help them remember what it feels like to move again. Clients can start spending their days moving with freedom and strength and confidence in their body. And this opens up their life. They remember that movement equals energy. You simply cannot have one without the other. And slowly but surely I see my clients transform. Not in the “body transformation” way that websites proclaim, but their lives transform. They have energy, confidence and belief because they can move. Because they can move well, they can live well. And that is why I love Pilates – because it gives my clients so much more than just a workout.