Being a skateboarder, I am constantly plagued with injury. I currently have a bruised left hip, a tight sharpness going across my right kneecap and some lingering pain from when I sprained my wrist over six months ago. That’s all fine with me. You’ve gotta’ pay to play, as they say, but my gripe is that due to these injuries I cannot exercise like I normally do. I feel myself transforming into a slug.
Pull-ups and push-ups? Forget about it. My wrist wants no part. The old jump rope? My knee says “absolutely not.” Sit-ups? I stopped doing sit-ups on my last day of high school gym class. All I can really do is stretch around my booboos.
My weekly Reformer class was today. I was going to skip it due to my knee pain but I thought “what the heck” and threw on a cheap knee brace, then went ahead and “Pilated.” I let my instructor, the wonderful Nancy, know that my knee wasn’t tip-top before class started. She inquired a little further and then we began.
An hour-long class and I didn’t feel any pain whatsoever. Even now, six hours later, I am feeling superb. I don’t know if this blog post is a testament to Pilates, to Balanced Body instructor training, to Nancy or to all of the above, but I am very thankful to have come across Pilates. Now I can feel good even when I feel bad!
Note: This article was written last year. All mentioned injuries have now healed.
Scott Kartagener is Balanced Body’s Senior Videographer. When he’s not shooting Balanced Body’s next masterpiece, he’s enjoying life with his family.
