I have to start with this dream I had last night.

I was in a ballroom teaching a Pilates mat class of about 100 people. There were all these faces from my past – weird how dreams do that – and I was excited to really show off my teaching skills.

But there were no Pilates mats. Just 100 folding chairs, packed tightly into rows. So I had to teach a class that involved only standing or sitting exercises.

I started off with some standing stretches – roll down into a forward fold, stand back up and bring your ear to your shoulder – and remember feeling the anxiety of really wanting to help people but knowing I was somewhat limited in what I could do.

Then I started hearing the grumblings.

People were whispering and mumbling about being bored and not knowing what the purpose was to anything I was having them do. It was kind of a disaster.

Oh, and did I mention I started class 20 minutes late?

(So this is a tangent, but am I the only one who has dreams about being late and forgetful all the time?? I sang and performed in high school and still have dreams I am late going on stage or never memorized my lines. I waited tables in college and still have dreams I forget about someone’s order. Now I have dreams I am late to teach or leave patients in rooms for an hour. I obviously have some anxiety about not being prepared?!)

So, back to my dream.

I think it might relate to something I see over and over again with clients.

We all want a quick fix and we want to experience immediate results to feel like it’s working.

While there are a few things in life that may work overnight, they don’t usually create lasting benefits.

You know what does produce results?

Consistency and patience. (Two words NO ONE wants to hear in fitness and exercise!)

It’s absolutely true, though.

We have all experienced some kind of low back pain in our lives! I feel like I hear from a friend/client/family member at least a few times every month who has back pain. It could be from an injury, from their job, from the way they are sitting, from body changes, from stress, from scoliosis, or from 100 different reasons.

I know what back pain can feel like and how much it can limit our daily activities! I usually ask some questions to help me figure out what might be going on, and then give whatever advice I can to send them to the right practitioner or to help them feel better. If it’s not an emergency case, I can usually give 4-10 exercises that I know can help stretch and strengthen and relieve pain, no matter what the cause of the pain may be.

The key is then for the person to take the exercises and do them regularly (easier said than done!).

They say it takes 40 days to create a new habit. What I try to do with my clients who are in pain or have an injury is to use movement to create new “habits” in their bodies. I want to retrain the body how to move in certain ways, so that it can balance itself out.

The pain can often times be relieved, and the person can return to their activities and exercises with less possibility of getting re-injured.

And all is right in the world.

But this only works if that client – if WE – are consistent with the exercises and instructions given.

We gotta do the work to see the reward.

So, back to my dream.

Yes, it will seem like some of the exercises are boring and you aren’t sure of the purpose.

You might feel like you are stuck in a chair or on your mat doing stretches when you want to be out running or hiking or cycling.

You might think you need harder exercises to get better. After all, no pain no gain, right? (Wrong! But that’s for another post…)

But I promise – really really really promise – when I give exercises for pain or injury, they have a specific purpose and there is a method to the madness.

Just stick with me.

I’ve included links to three workout videos I created specifically for people with low back pain and scoliosis. Even if you don’t have scoliosis, the scoliosis exercises would still serve to strengthen and stretch your back and core and help with any kind of general low back pain you might have. You don’t need anything but a mat and some motivation to do these short workouts!

Lower Back Exericises – Pilates workout to decrease low back pain

Scoliosis Exercises – Stretches for scoliosis

Scoliosis Exercises – Pilates workout for scoliosis 

You can do this! Shoot for a few minutes every day and focus on being mindful and purposeful with your movement. Then message me in 40 days and let me know if you feel a difference!

Please keep in mind I’m not with you to discuss your specific case. Please check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. These workouts aren’t meant to diagnose or cure any disease or dysfunction. If you experience pain, please stop. As always, I would recommend seeing your doctor and physical therapist for one on one care.