I’m one of the lucky ones, and my pain eased. Yay! I still had flare ups and blinding headaches, but I could mostly get through the days.

At one point I went to a new chiropractor who said I should do this thing called Pilates. I’d heard of it, in fact the dancers at Phantom had suggested it before (see, it all comes together!) so I was prepared to give it a try.

I loved it from minute one!

I’m hypermobile and yoga never worked for me, but this! I loved that I was in control of how I moved, that I was building strength, that I wasn’t encouraged to go as far as I could but instead to go to where I felt safe and strong. I loved that I got specific-to-me instructions and attentive cues that targeted my needs, even in a class setting.

I did private sessions, took endless classes, did my teacher training and never looked back! 

Changing my movement changed my life. The flare ups became occasional days, the regular headaches a thing of the past.

I taught in my home when my kids were young, then I opened my studio, Boomerang Pilates, in 2011. I adore the community of amazing movers and skilled teachers I get to hang out with!

Over the years I’ve added Restorative Exercise and Roll Model Method self-massage certifications, done fascial anatomy dissections to deepen my understanding of how our amazing bodies move and now I’ve added the Bone Fit certification from Osteoporosis Canada.

Why did I do that?

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, with advanced bone loss at 56 years old.

Despite my good diet, lots of movement and effective loading. My family history of severe, early-onset osteoporosis isn’t something I could avoid! 

Huh.

I feel better, stronger, fitter, than I did in my 20’s. I’m more resilient and better able to recover. I have way more understanding of how my body works, how my mind and body serve each other.

And now I have to change the way I move, exercise and teach.

And you know what? That’s ok!

Life isn’t static. Things change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

I have the tools to manage this change in my circumstances and now I get to share my knowledge and experience with YOU!

I’ve added more progressive strength training to my workouts, I’ve taken out the flexion (forward bending) but maintained the core work.

I still have a rewarding, challenging, restoring movement practice and you can too!

So if you have chronic pain and want to feel better, you have osteoporosis and want a safe, effective workout or you just love to learn more about how you move and want to feel better, more confident and more adept in your everyday life and hobbies… let’s work together!

Xo

Alison