In 2013 I was plagued by chronic back pain that gradually made my job as an international financial and risk management consultant more and more difficult. Sitting for long hours every day became too painful to bear.
I began educating myself about my condition and came across Pilates. The stories of rehabilitation and Joseph's accounts of how much the technique benefited him and his clients made me very curious.
Now I don't do things half-heartedly, and I have this need to know everything 100%, so I started a comprehensive education in Pilates.
“I took a comprehensive Pilates education to find a solution, as my condition was rapidly declining. I needed to understand the science of anatomy and the practical application of movement to better manage my own condition”
I was conscious that I should consider a plan b in order to try and regain the ability to move and secure a quality in my future life. I was in a really desperate situation, nothing seemed to be working.
I have not looked back. After I passed the examinations I realised I had the skills to begin teaching. I had also become extremely passionate about the technique and so grateful that it allowed me to regain my quality of life, I really wanted others to experience the same transformation and get relief from similar problems.
Progressing my own physical rehabilitation required a tremendous amount of patience, determination and a strong desire to be well. It also gave me the eyes and knowledge to see and work with physical dysfunction in others.
I had built a whole Pilates studio in my home in Limhamn for my rehabilitation, so all I needed to do was to found Limhamn Pilates Förening. Pilates was gaining popularity in Sweden at that time, as people became more aware that in order to help their back pain, for example, it required movement, not rest and immobilisation.
There are many factors that can affect a person’s back pain - the job they do, their lifestyle and social interactions. It can be very beneficial to an individual to learn how to take responsibility for the health of their body and to learn how to manage their strength in movement. Classic Pilates has proved to be an excellent form of exercise for me to address muscular-skeletal imbalances in a healthy way. It educates the individual to become more coordinated and in control of their movements in daily activities.
It is known that the better physical condition a person is in, the easier it is for the body to manage pain and illness. Classic Pilates is one of the best forms of exercise to re-educate your movement patterns to help reduce back pain. Classic Pilates cannot guarantee to get rid of your back pain, but what it can do is guide you to understand how to manage it yourself.
Fast forward to 2020 and I am getting stronger in my body all the time and completing my second comprehensive instructor education. Most importantly I have built a lovely Pilates community around me; people who have become as passionate about Pilates as I am because they have witnessed their own tightness and stress melting away. They notice improved posture, less exhaustion and more strength and resilience in their daily activities. Two of my clients have now progressed to become trainers in my studios themselves.
I now train people from across the spectrum. Traditionally men have kept away from Pilates, but they are now understanding just how hard it is and how much they really need it. We have football and rugby players, dancers, mothers, old and young, executives and those recovering from injury and illness.
In 2017 I worked with the charity We Act Sweden, working with immigrants in Malmö. Many of them have suffered extreme stress and trauma, and Pilates helped provide a safe sanctuary for the mind and body to rest with some gentle functional movement.
For me it has been a real journey of inspiration and I continue be motivated and inspired by my clients' journeys.
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