I have just started Pilates with a physiotherapist and wanted to share my experience.

[loopyloo1]

I have never done Pilates before. prior to the onset of the fibro symtoms i was very active, mostly in the gym and on my bike and liked the sweat and burn lol...now i get the sweat and burn from changing the duvet i also did yoga and due to my hyper mobility i was extremly good at it..bendy people are good at yoga....yoga was okay but i just couldnt stand all the farting in the class

my rheumy suggested i try pilates opposed to yoga as yoga will encourage me to hyper extend and thats BAD!! he said not to go to a class with a keep fit teacher but see a proper pilates teacher...so i found a physio in my area and pottered along for my first appointment.

She was experienced in teaching people like me ( i have HMS as well) she had me laying on my back doing the deep breathing control whilst tilting my pelvis and relaxing my shoulder, after the tenth time i just burst into tear and blubbed like a baby...so embarrassing... but normal apparently. anyway im going to be doing this every week and im using my disability leave from work to do it...i get 12 weeks a year disability leave but no one told me...of course! I had to trawl the attendance policy and found this buried in the document... the HR people confirmed i was entitled to take it...so i will!!

its a shame i cant this on the NHS as it cost £40 a pop and that is the norm...but really i dont care if i feel better without a cocktail of drugs. i will just it beans on toast for a while.

i am using the breathing technique at night to help with sleep and so far so good. I feel optimistic that this will help build my core strength to hold my poor body upright....and after my hours session i didnt feel worse i actually felt more relaxed and there was no stiffness the following day.

my next session is next week and in the meantime i have to practice my breathing and coodination and do 10 pelvicx tilts and squeezes a day... looks like i will be blubbing a lot more!

I will try really hard to maintain a postitive mental attitude and let all the negativity slip away...i realise i will have bad days but i will continue to pace myself and exercise in some capacity every day.

If anyone else has had success with pilates i would be interested to hear from them

(((hugs)))

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it sounds great my sister and i are looking for gentle exercise more for me than her as she is very fit xx keep us posted xx gentle dyslexic hugs

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oh i used to do yoga everyday sometimes 2 x a day i used to love it i did at home in fact i found my dvd only yesterday and put them in the loft as i cant do yoga anymore the last time i tried was earlier in the year on my daughters wii fit yoga board and omg i could not do it i was all over the show and messed myself up so hat was that i have had a quick go at pilates bu the same i cannot do it so it is a shame but glad you are getting alot out of it i hope you can continue with it love diddle xx

[Fibromite]

Hi Loopyloo 1

I have had massive success with Pilates. When I first started 2 years ago I couldn't put my own shoes on and off. Now my mobility is better, my balance and pain levels are far better. I now go twice a week as I know on bad days I will crawl in but dance out. It makes me feel so much better within myself.

It's a small group so we have a laugh too. And that really does help. Laughter and movement have saved my sanity.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It's worth every penny..

Gentle Hug, Fibromite. xx