Pain in the Joints after Pilates

(Gail)

I have been taking Pilates for about 3 1/2 years now.

I absoultely love it, BUT all of a sudden I am having terrible problems.

My left hip is killing me along with the sciatic nerve pain.

My shoulder hurts in class as well as my elbow, I feel like I am falling apart. I never had any problems but now feel that I should and I am taking a 2 week break to give my body a break.

I've always exercised so it's not like I just started this cold.

I do Pilates 3 days a week and I am 58 years old.

Is it just too much, I never thought Pilates to be that strenuos of a routine.

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Hello Gail,

Unfortunately, there can be many different reasons why you are feeling pain with Pilates all of a sudden.

It is a good idea to take a break from it, you should notice you feel better within two weeks if that is really the culprit here.

Let me ask you couple of questions:

Do you have a well padded exercise mat?

Have you had a new instructor recently that changed the format of the class?

Have you changed medications or moved to a different climate?

Maybe it's time for a one on one session on the equipment for you with a qualified instructor to see how you are moving and find ways to help you get back to loving Pilates.

You may have developed some bad habits over the years and now they are catching up with you.


The equipment Pilates is much more forgiving and gentle than the mat and you will find more strength and less pain.


Find certified Studio's and Instructor's in your area by going here.


Best to you!

Jennifer

Pain doing Pilates

by Elizabeth
(California)

I had my first child last year, and I'm ready to get into shape.

I have tried Pilates a few times before, and decided it would be a good way to start out my weight loss plan.

Today I did only a 10 minute exercise, and my low back pain was so intolerable I could not even finish.

Should I stick with the exercise, and will the pain go away if I just keep up with the exercising?

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Hello Elizabeth,

I'm not sure which exercise you were performing specifically, but you should not have pain when exercising, just muscle fatigue.

I would not recommend continuing doing the exercise or exercises that were giving you pain during your workout.

Pilates exercises, when performed correctly, the effort and exertion should be in the core or deeper abdominal muscles. These muscles support and protect your back so you may feel a stretch or muscle fatigue or work, but definitely not pain in the back when doing Pilates exercises.

I assume you are doing Pilates Mat Exercises. I would suggest taking an individual session to make sure you are performing the exercises correctly and beginning with the proper number of repetitions and progression of exercise to gain the most benefit.


Here is an article that may help you with some of the more common Pilates exercises that people injure themselves with doing incorrectly.

Pilates and Back Pain.


My Pilates Ebook here outlines 3 progressions of the classic mat Pilates exercises and how to use modifications so as not to injure yourself.


My Beginner Pilates DVD here shows two workouts for you to progress safely through the beginner Pilates sequence.