YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Struggled with poor posture and a sedentary work-life for two decades. Continuous low-level chronic pain. And had some minor surgeries - mentioned previously - to fix things that were likely from poor posture. Really struggled to maintain an exercise routine. And also struggled to be able to afford an exercise routine!

My sister nudged me to take up jogging through Park Run. She also bought me some Pilates sessions for my birthday which I have since gladly kept going. I’d done reformer Pilates several years ago as part of a rehab program for a broken kneecap - previously mentioned.

I really enjoyed it because it worked on my posture. I got an immediate realignment of my whole body which felt great. You don’t realize how much pain you’re in until you feel the absence of it.

So, now I’m doing Pilates again and ‘Our Friend’ forces Park Run and all the gyms and exercise studios to close. But my resourceful Pilates teacher begins offering online Pilates sessions. So I am continuing to work on my posture, my mobility, my pain management and my anxiety, in a group session online from my lounge room.

I know that online therapy is a big thing now. But stuff like online Pilates which is cheap by comparison contributes significantly to mind-body well-being too.

I mention it here in case anyone’s looking for something like this to help out during this time. Not necessarily Pilates, but just that there are live online structured activities that are private and don’t require too much outlay.

I’ve noticed a number of articles relating core strength improvements to increases in mental and emotional health and resiliency. I also read an anecdote from The Body Keeps The Score yesterday where a trauma survivor credited Pilates’ core strengthening as part of her therapeutic recovery.

Core as I understand it is improving hip, back abs, obliques; that whole cylinder of muscles that stabilize and connect the top and bottom halves.

I’m at a stage with my Pilates (about 3 months) where I’m going from no awareness of core strength to noticing an improvement. I’m noticing I sleep, sit, lift, twist and bend better. Best I’m noticing that I’m feeling better too. There’s a confidence attached to increased mobility. And there’s a ‘bad’ feeling in my torso that’s lessened markedly.

This is on a ‘beginners’ Pilates program.

Thanks for this post, Beany Boo. It's really got me thinking.
I have a place in my torso that I call Where the Fear Lives. I've been working on it through body work and my counselling therapy. I will look into pilates.

I'm glad it's having such a meaningful effect for you!
Heather

Hello

Just wanted to add a little bit here. Missing the trips to the gym since it's closed, and I haven't tried anything online ... but as a New Years resolution I told myself that to fight morning anxiety, before work I should:

1. Collect my thoughts before jumping out of bed.
2. Drink 1~2 glasses of water.
3. Do some whole-body stretching on the floor.
4. Get on the exercise bike for 10 minutes to get the blood circulating.

Simple stuff, but boy do I feel a resistance to even these simple things. But they absolutely help!

Before the stay-at-home requirement, it was work anxiety and the daily grind pulling at me.

Now it's the pull of the daily news-feeds. Lots of need-to-know, but also need to balance. (I'm in the NJ/NY area and near the early cases, so it's in-your-face and has a real personal feeling.)

Yesterday I let myself get pulled into the morass, but today I forced myself to do the steps.... and what a difference small things make.

I hope you all can find balance and small comforts in these quite-unsettling times.

Be well.

SD