Anna C
Personal Training and 8 Weeks Focused Pilates
Age 37
Anna suffered with Pelvic Girdle Pain from 16 weeks pregnant. Following the birth, her chiropractor recommended she start Pilates.
On meeting Anna, I decided to send her to well-known specialist in Pelvic Girdle Pain for further investigation. Working alongside the therapist’s recommendations we started to focus on releasing the tension in her back, mid back, waist, glutes and inner thighs. Anna was also recommended to work on her postural alignment.
Initially I had to work to get Anna to feel confident in releasing the muscles in her thighs as this had caused her pain throughout pregnancy. We also started to focus on reconnecting to her pelvic floor, abdominals and breathing patterns.
After 6 months Anna was finally able to confidently stretch her adductors and lie on her back for periods of time. Now the focus is on her posture and ankle stability to help prepare her for a second baby!
The Plan of Action
Focus on Anna’s breathing pattern- she is a chest breather
- lengthen the rib cage and open the chest (overly tight in the pectorals)
- improve thoracic/upper back extension and lumbar flexion to help combat kyphotic/lordotic posture type
- strengthen and lengthen adductors and glutes to assist with pelvic floor function and in turn pelvic stability
- strengthen upper and middle back and improve shoulder stability to help forward flexion
- improve strength of the deep stabilising muscles
- enable obliques and QL to work in synergy with the rest of the torso and inner unit (were over dominant in movements such as side kick and swimming)
The Results
The biggest improvement we saw was the movement to her thoracic area and lumbar flexion. Anna has commented that she is shocked by how much stronger she feels having done Pilates both in a session and at home with set homework focus. She feels stronger from the inside and as such feels more stable when lifting and playing with her little girl. The movements have also shown her other ways that she can improve her mobility and strength aside from general stretches and abdominal strength work
Anna has seen a significant reduction in her symptoms and even reported she was pain free after a week of driving and sitting for work! She is standing taller and feels much stronger in herself. She feels ready to increase her exercise intensity because she feels she is more stable and thanks Pilates for that.
Before:
After:
