Transcription:

 

As a younger girl, I was a member of the gymnastics team with what seemed to be a very flexible body; little did I realise I had scoliosis of the spine and hypermobility issues that would cause

me pain and posture problems in my later years.

 

I spent my 20s and 30s in and out of osteopath and chiropractor clinics trying to resolve episodes of unbearable lower back pain which, at times, left me unable to walk. My career spanning 18 years at a desk only fuelled the problem further. Eventually, I received a diagnosis from an orthopaedic specialist. This confirmed scoliosis and hypermobility issues, contributing to a prolapsed disc and early degeneration to the other discs in my lumbar spine. I was then advised to try Pilates to prevent my problems becoming any worse.

 

So, I became a certified Level 3 Pilates instructor and the owner of Pilates with Kate. Within a year, I was teaching five classes a week and practising more and more Pilates. I noticed that, as well as my much-improved strength, to my amazement I had become completely free of back pain.

 

When I received my qualification, I remember feeling concerned that my condition could prevent me from demonstrating well but, in fact, it has actually proved to be positive because clients can relate to me when I share my knowledge of posture problems and I actually think it has played a part in my success. Thankfully, most moves are in reach for me now due to my improved strength and flexibility but occasionally there may be demonstrations that prove more difficult for my body type and, when this happens, I either offer a modification or cue a confident participant into the move instead, which works well, too.