Client of the Month – Mary Dodd

I have been attending Virginia's Pilates classes now for just over 4 years, I had a 1-2-1 with Virginia before I joined Acclaim Pilates just to see if a) I could do it and b) if I thought I might enjoy it. I now attend classes twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Virginia was recommended to me by a physiotherapist at a local hospital 4 years ago, she advised me that a few people had mentioned Virginia by name and that it would be a very good idea to go and see her as it would be on going and one of the best ways to treat a bad back which I have had for a number of years.

I consider myself to be quite fit but with a bad back I needed some help and Pilates has definitely helped me. In June this year I went to Peru and hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, it was 26 miles of very uneven paths and millions of steps up and down, it took 4 days to complete on the second day walking for 10 hours and without the benefit of going to Pilates I honestly don't think I would have been able to do it, thanks Virginia!!

I still have back pain but since attending Pilates I seem to recover more quickly and without resorting to pills, so at 65 my main aim is to keep going to Pilates and keep supple, I feel stiff if I have to miss a week. I started with just Tuesday classes but added the Thursday Advanced class before going to Peru as I wanted to be as fit as possible. Well I have now hiked the Inca trail but I will still be going to Pilates twice a week, it just seems a way of life now. I plan to add a 15-20min homework session to my week using the worksheets that Virginia prepares for us and maybe I will one day get to perform 'The Roll Up' perfectly!