Meet Judy
Posted on August 19 2015
Judy performing flat back on the BOSU on the Reformer
Judy performing flat back on the BOSU on the ReformerI am a 72 year old, retired nutritionist. My body has always been hyper-flexible. About 15 years ago I began experiencing pains in my back, knees, feet and hands. Osteoarthritis was diagnosed as well as bunions and some back disk fusing. I had some Physical Therapy for my back and feet, which helped minimally, and I learned some techniques to reduce pain. Unfortunately PT only lasts for a few sessions, and anything for the long haul is up to the individual. I tried some exercise classes and discovered most were designed for “20 somethings” so I could neither keep the pace nor feel that the correct moves were being made. Maybe more injury than help in my case because of my body structure! And certainly more injury because there was no one to say, "not that far", or " a little higher", or "stop at four reps today". My daughter-in-law, who is a Physical Therapist (but not close by), suggested Pilates, as she felt my core muscles needed to be strengthened to control my hyper-mobility. She was very right, and luckily for me, I discovered Sense of Balance 10 minutes from my home!
Arm circles on Reformer with bonus abdominal challenge of Latte the studio cat.I immediately felt comfortable with Candace as she questioned me about various aspects of my health and life history before we began any exercise. Following her preliminary evaluation, she readily agreed that my core muscles were not strong enough to keep my body in alignment, thus causing much of my pain. I think she initially questioned how much I might be able to accomplish given my age and condition, but we set out some plans!
Fast forward 5 years! I have continued to work one-on-one with Candace, partly because my body responds so differently that we do not feel a class situation is right for me, but also partly because I so enjoy my time with Candace, that I don’t really want to share that with anyone else! She is ever sensitive to MY needs, MY aches of the day, MY goals.
I now rarely have back or knee pain that lasts for more than a few hours (used to be days) and my feet are not hurting at all. I have consistently seen her once a week for 5 years and do a couple extra sessions each month. She has been great about working around my schedule if I am out of town for a while. I truly look forward to my Tuesday mornings! I love feeling my body stretch and respond, and I feel those core muscles growing stronger. Learning to recognize a muscle I didn’t “know” I had, and seeing my limbs hold steady instead of flopping and twitching is so gratifying. Candace is great at complimenting the positives, and a “Spot on” means a lot! It is especially rewarding to hear her say, “I really didn’t think you would ever be able to do this, and here you are!!!”
Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!If you want to learn how to strengthen your core and have fun doing it, give Sense of Balance a try!
Thank you, thank you Candace!
Judy Heald
Judy's granddaughter Lori filmed this amazing video of her workout in the studio!
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