Whilst many people discover Pilates as a form of exercise, to tone up and keep fit, when combined with physiotherapy it can have incredible benefits for injury rehabilitation.
Our Pilates instructor, Suzy Titford, explains the value of practicing Pilates after an injury.
Pilates is for everyone – many people take up Pilates to improve core strength, muscle tone, joint mobility and even posture and balance. The practice also has great powers of stress relief. But Pilates is particularly useful for those with physical injuries. Pilates, when used in conjunction with physiotherapy, greatly eases the pain caused by back, knee or shoulder problems. It helps in rehabilitation, so that the body can heal completely.
Often patients are sent by their doctors to beginner classes, hoping that the activity will eventually prevent surgery. Over time, by gradually building up their strength and abilities, these patients can see real improvements that eliminate the need for medical intervention.
My personal journey with Pilates started after sustaining a serious knee injury whilst studying ballet. I taught ballet for many years, around the world, and dance was a huge part of my life. The injury caused me a great deal of pain and difficulty, as well as severely impacting my career. Eventually, however, I made a full recovery thanks to Pilates. It made such a big difference to me that I decided to train as a Pilates instructors so that I could help other people to experience the same improvements that I had. My aim now is to help people create good movement habits using the Pilates approach.
Pilates doesn’t just help you to recover after an injury, though. Like aerobic exercise, Pilates has a preventive advantage: the benefits for your joints, strength and flexibility means that regular practice can greatly reduce your risk of becoming injured in the first place.
Pilates was initially developed as a way to connect physical and mental health, making it an ideal rehabilitation tool. We offer classes to address muscular or joint imbalances caused by a particular injury, or minor injuries in various areas of the body, caused simply by living daily life.
At Reach Physiotherapy, we offer Pilates classes to suit all ages and abilities, and you can also book one-to-one sessions for more in-depth support. Visit our Pilates page to find out more.
* Contact Reach Physiotherapy for a list of references used for this blog content.
