Testimonials

Rebecca Shiffer - October 2006

In my fourth decade, the feeling of immortality that I had in my 20s started to wear off, and I realized that I needed to pay more attention to my health and flexibility now in order not to be slow and creaky later. One clue was the twinges in my lower back that did not go away. I was not used to these annoying aches and pains. Then I learned about Pilates from a friend who was a principal ballerina and did Pilates as part of her training. Her recommendation that I find a studio, not try to learn from books and tapes, led me to Excel Movement Studios.

I have an aversion to repetitive tasks like folding laundry, mowing the lawn, and following an exercise program. If I have done something once, why do I have to do it again? But I could see the positive benefits of Pilates in my graceful dancer friend and the dedicated students and teachers at Excel, so I have stuck to it. I did not experience an instantaneous transformation. It was that repetitive task thing, you have to do the homework. I tried to be diligent, but . . . .

Tired of my modest progress, I pushed myself to go further in Pilates this year. My job is sedentary and my back had become even tighter, constantly reminding me that it would not get better without work. My schedule does not coordinate with the mat classes at my level, so I scheduled more one-on-one sessions whenever I could and made myself do more stretching and work on the Basic 5 as homework.

The last few months have made a world of difference in my body and in my confidence that I can do this. The rolling exercises and the roll-up are still hard, but I am no longer stuck on the flat place of my back like an overturned turtle. My posture has improved to the point that I notice when I am slouching in my chair or bowing my shoulders under the bags I carry as a public transit commuter, and then I correct myself. My tight back needs lots more work, but it no longer bothers me every day.

The Pilates breathing has also been incredibly helpful to me. I have had asthma since childhood, and I am now breathing more deeply than I ever have. Recently I had to do some intensive and strenuous tasks around the house and found myself breathless after several hours of hard work. I tried Pilates breathing and was amazed at how much easier the heavy lifting and carrying became when I focused on "inhale and exhale."

I like the feeling of invigoration and accomplishment that I have after a session. Feeling and seeing physical results is inspiring. Danica has worked with me to focus on what I needed to do to achieve these results. She is a great teacher and coach, and her enthusiasm for my progress encourages me to work even harder.

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