Health
How Pilates helped me turn my life around at age 58
From ditching painkillers to conquering a hanging pull-up, Stephanie Hunt turned her health around – one slow, deliberate movement at a time.
By Stephanie Hunt
At 58, I was feeling stressed, had trouble sleeping, and relied too much on over-the-counter pain relief for my aching hip, restless legs and tight shoulder. I knew I needed to improve my physical health, but wasn’t sure how to begin.
Gyms had never appealed to me – I felt unsupported and intimidated. Aerobics or dance were never my thing either – I was too uncoordinated. While I have been reasonably active my whole life, lower back pain and stiff hips have always been issues. Then after childbirth, and carrying 3 large babies around, my flexibility problems worsened. My dad had a hip replacement in his mid-60s, and I began to believe I was destined for one too because my hip ached every night for years.
Then I met Jemma, an accredited exercise physiologist with over 15 years’ experience, a Clinical Pilates coach and the owner of RAW Fitness and Sports Training in northern NSW. She introduced me to Pilates and it changed my life.
Strength, flexibility and balance
Pilates focuses on strength, flexibility and balance through slow, controlled movements targeting the core muscles and enhancing body stability. Developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates to strengthen his own body, it draws on elements of calisthenics, yoga and ballet. Pilates aims to improve posture, enhance coordination and relieve pain – exactly what I needed.
Jemma conducted an hour-long assessment of my body, from feet to head, explaining how different parts of the body are connected. If one area is weak or injured, it can impact another completely different area of the body.
My emotions ran high at the end of that hour because I had finally found a health professional who took time to understand my whole package and to help me understand all my weak areas. I think I even cried – I definitely hugged her!
Learning to control muscles I didn’t know I had
Jemma designed an individualised Clinical Pilates program that included resistance exercises and stretches on 3 Pilates machines: the reformer, trapeze table, and wunda chair (click on each to find out what they are). It was not easy – I worked up a sweat both mentally and physically!
You’ll note that I keep referring to “Clinical Pilates” when I talk about Jemma’s program. That’s because Pilates and clinical Pilates are slightly different things – namely because clinical Pilates is delivered by physiotherapists (and is therefore claimable on some health funds). Here’s a quick breakdown of the main differences:
Pilates
- A general form of exercise focusing on core strength, flexibility, posture and balance.
- This form of Pilates is often taught in group classes by certified Pilates instructors in gyms or studios, but sometimes instructors will have had little formal Pilates training.
- Designed for fitness, toning, and overall wellbeing, but not necessarily for injury or chronic pain management.
Clinical Pilates
- A more individualised, therapeutic form of Pilates, designed to help with rehabilitation, injury prevention and chronic pain management.
- Usually prescribed and supervised by physiotherapists (or your GP might refer you to the physio specifically for clinical Pilates).
- Tailored to your individual needs, often following an injury, surgery or a specific condition (like back pain, osteoarthritis or other chronic conditions).
- It uses general Pilates principles but may incorporate physiotherapy-based modifications to suit medical conditions.
In short, regular Pilates is great for fitness and strength, while Clinical Pilates is also targeted for rehab and recovery. If you have an injury or specific physical concerns, Clinical Pilates is likely the safer and more customised option.
Jemma’s program focused on moving specific muscles slowly and deliberately – I learned to control muscles I didn’t even know I had. I even came to appreciate the burning feeling I experienced when I targeted the right area. In time I learnt to coordinate my movements and get my muscles and joints to do what my brain was telling them (even that was not easy at first!).
Jemma guided, corrected and encouraged me, modifying exercises for my arthritic wrist and adding weights as I gained strength.
I noticed a difference almost immediately
After just 2 weeks, with 2 sessions each week, I noticed a difference. I stood taller, walked with better posture and didn’t tire as quickly.
By 6 weeks, the hip pain that had plagued me nightly for years was gone. I stopped taking paracetamol and my sleep improved.
After 3 months, nearly 30 years since my first child was born my core felt stronger than ever.
Around 4 months in, I taught myself how to walk properly. I’d been straining my lower back for years due to poor technique and hip instability. Strengthening my hip and glute muscles improved my walking, making it smoother and less painful.
Then, 6 months since starting Pilates, I found myself performing a hanging pull-up on the trap table. With my legs resting on a suspended board 2.5m above the ground, I used my shoulders and arms to lift my body towards the ceiling. It took me a bit of convincing to try it, but Jemma supported me and I was inspired by others in my sessions.
Others are seeing results as well
Like Gary, a 64-year-old retired business advisor, who can complete 20 hanging pull-ups in a row (I’m now up to 6). Gary began attending clinical Pilates nearly 3 years ago and 3 months before his first hip surgery. He needed a second hip surgery 6 months later and experienced a much faster recovery than with the first one, thanks to the time spent preparing with Pilates.
“No painkillers at all after my second surgery, compared to weeks of painkillers after the first one,” he tells me.
Lenny (not his real name), 59, also saw major improvements after 6 months of clinical Pilates. “Losing weight, gaining mobility, and having my doctor take me off meds – big smile on my face!” he shares.
I’ve lost weight too, though weight loss wasn’t my goal. Typical of many menopausal women, I had gained a few kilos of stubborn belly fat, but Pilates helped me shed it and keep it off.
A holistic approach is best
Gary and Lenny continue to motivate me. Both walk regularly and attend Jemma’s small hands-on gym now they’re more mobile. “Pilates alone won’t do it all,” Lenny says from experience. “You need to take a holistic approach and include some gym work and other activities to get the biggest results.”
Jemma agrees. “That’s why you, Gary and Lenny are improving”, she tells me. “I give clients 2 golden rules if they want to improve their physical health. One is to turn up consistently, and the other is to be coachable. You all turn up, you all put in the work, you can see the results.”
To keep me flexible between Pilates sessions, I practice specific stretches at home – all I need is a yoga mat and 20 minutes.
My next step is to incorporate strength and weight training to maintain bone mass, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls, as recommended by Sports Medicine Australia. In other words, I’m investing in my health now to ensure a strong, active and pain-free retirement later.
Feature image: iStock/FG Trade
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