I wanted to share a post with you today about how Pilates changed exercising for me! Despite having bad knees, rheumatoid arthritis, elbow problems, and more, I do Pilates and love it.
If it seems like I am gushing a little, I am. I speak out about this information because there are many people out there like me. Some people don’t have the ability to do “normal” exercises due to some physical limitations.
And this is why I love Pilates. Anyone can do it, and it can be modified to fit any need!
How Pilates Changed Exercising For Me Despite Bad Knees
Fun fact, in the first picture I am 9 months pregnant and Tucker was born two days later! I did Pilates up until he was born. I share my journey of exercise on Instagram, but I wanted to share it here on the website too.
A little back story
I spent my entire teenage years and young adult life trying to exercise. I wanted so much as a young teen to be fit and active like everyone else. I played basketball, ran track, and did volleyball in junior high. But the more I did things like this, the worse it made my joint pain. My poor knee suffered so much in my junior high years from trying to keep up with everyone else.
When I started high school, I had to stop athletics because it was just too much for my joints. I tried many other things including taking dance class for my fine arts credit. Dancing I loved! I struggled with immobility in dance class, but I still enjoyed it.
It was this dance class that first introduced me to Pilates. Every Thursday we would do workouts which ranged from Zumba to Yoga, but also Pilates. We did mat Pilates a lot, and I thought wow this is fun. It was challenging, but it was doable for me.
In my early 20s, I got married and moved to California where my husband was stationed. I joined a gym and got right back into trying to do the weight lifting thing. Once again I had to stop because of bad knee issues.
I started researching Pilates and reformers, and decided this was something I needed to try. When we moved back to Texas, I didn’t live near any studio, so I started doing mat Pilates at home.
Discovering the Reformer
Exercising was a come and go situation throughout my 20s. I would be able to walk and do activities, then I would struggle with a flare and not be able to walk for awhile. After Amelia was born, I decided I was going to do whatever it took to find a reformer class! I just knew this was going to be the answer for me.
There was a studio about 35 minutes away, so I looked into getting a membership there.
But then I discovered my town was getting a reformer studio! Amelia was 8 months old when The Fit Lounge opened in Granbury, and it changed my exercise life forever. The minute I got on the reformer, I knew right away this was it. I was able to do so many things to work out and strengthen my core, and my joint pain wasn’t impacted! My amazing teachers at The Fit Lounge worked with me and helped modify moves to be doable with my knee issues. Taylor, the owner, even helped me get back on my feet after knee surgery.
Then we moved to another town a few years into my reformer journey, and I found a private Pilates studio right down the road. Blue Door Studio with Karli is where I worked out through pregnancy. She was fantastic and worked closely with me during pregnancy to make sure I was getting good workouts in safely! After Tucker was born, I go to the studio once a week for classes.
But How Has Pilates Changed Exercising for me?
There are many things Pilates has done for me, but it has really changed my views on exercising and movement.
It has allowed me to exercise with bad knees
Working out on the reformer has been great for my bad knees. Much of the movement is on your back or side, so it eliminates any weight bearing on joints. I did Pilates on the reformer just a few months out of knee surgery too.
Pilates is actually gentle on my joints
Before I did Pilates, most exercises really aggravated my joints. Even yoga would cause my knee and elbow to hurt for days. Pilates is gentle on all my joints.
Easily modified
One of the things I love most about the reformer is how easy it is to modify moves. All of the teachers I have had can show me simple changes if a certain move is too hard or strains any joint. This exercise can be modified for just about any need. I did Pilates up until Tucker was born, and we just modified everything to work for me.
Better weight management
I used to rely on diet only to manage my weight, but when I started doing Pilates, weight management became much easier for me! It allowed me to not have such a strict diet and start enjoying things more. The long, lean, and strong muscles Pilates builds is unlike any exercise I have done before.
Mat Pilates vs Reformer Pilates
Many people ask me what the difference is if you only do mat Pilates. To me, mat Pilates is more difficult because you are on the floor versus on the reformer machine. I prefer reformer Pilates for my joints, but I also do mat Pilates at home on days I don’t go to a studio.
What if you don’t have access to a reformer studio?
SO many readers have brought this up to me when I talk about Pilates. I have had success doing mat Pilates workouts that mimic reformer workouts. Most of these are structured to be a little different than traditional mat Pilates. I follow a few instructors on Instagram who do “reformer like” Pilates without the reformer.
Either way, Pilates in general is amazing for bad joints. If you suffer from chronic pain, bad joints, and weakness, I would look into Pilates. I see so many people trying to do things like weight lift and cross fit, but their joints are suffering. A friend of mine was going through this recently and she finally switched to gentle strength training exercises including Pilates. She said it has helped her knee pain so much! She doesn’t have any disease, just knee pain from years of being rough on them.
Talk to your doctor and see if Pilates is the right choice for you too! My rheumatologist, surgeon, and personal doctor encourage me to do reformer classes even during a flare!
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As someone with bad knees I found this interesting
It has been such a great exercise for me even when my knee is acting up!
Hi Alexis!
I have issues similar to yours including RA. When I was in my early 30’s the Rheumatologist told me I had the body of a 90 year old woman. 😳😮 I take Celebrex to help with that issue. But I blew my knee out about 7 years ago (doing nothing) and was told it was a Baker’s cyst on the back of my knee and it would be healed – by itself- within a year. THAT didn’t happen. 😣I’ve been afraid to get on my horses since then because I don’t want to have my foot in the stirrup hoisting myself up and have my knee go out again (which it does). I’ve always thought about doing Pilates because over the last 3-5 years my flexibility has gone from excellent to barely. Long Covid has wreaked havoc on my joints and muscles over the last 3 years and I’m struggling to do anything I used to be able to do with ease. I am very active though- sawing/splitting/stacking wood, pruning trees, moving hay, cleaning up horse manure, etc., but it takes me much longer and tires me out tremendously.
Can you give me a brief overview of the difference between reformer, mat, and wall Pilates?
The reformer looks like it is a bench that sits about a foot off the ground. It’s easier than going all the way down to the floor with knee & arthritis pain, but what are the other advantages to using one? I really don’t have any extra cash to put out on equipment right now, so is there a mat and/or wall program (website, fb site, dvd) that you would recommend that would also show modifications. I live out in the country and don’t have any gyms in town. I also live in what is known as the ‘snowbelt’ in Ontario Canada, so I avoid going into town as often as possible (like once every couple months!), and I suffer with severe depression, which is another factor to consider, as I prefer to be alone and often struggle to even get out of bed. 😔
With your experience and similar knee/joint issues, I thought YOU would be the person to ask about programs available out there!! 😊There are SOOO many…but one that I can modify for me knees and body, and one that might cater more to arthritic, weakened joints and muscles would be the best for me.
Perhaps even your studio instructor might be able to recommend something.
Also- I see bands in your pictures. How do you know what bands to use (as they all have different tensile strengths don’t they??). Besides a mat, is there any other equipment you would recommend for a beginner?
I know absolutely NOTHING about reformers- even what they look like. Your pictures are the extent of my knowledge, as I’ve never even heard of reformers until today!!)
Is there a way I could set up something as a ‘pseudo-reformer’? (I have wooden seating benches from around the firepit, or fully reclining (hard plastic) reclining lounge chairs.)
I’m apologize for the length of this message, but since I’ve followed you for years, I know your struggles with knee pain and arthritis.
I want to pick your brain because I know you’ve researched so many things related to the topic! (I too am an over-the-top ‘over-researcher’…which has its pros AND cons (like getting confused/overwhelmed with the vast amount of differing opinions and information, and then you give up!! Does that ever happen to you? 🙄🤦♀️😂)
Anyways…
Thanks for any info you have about programs and any other advice you can offer! I really appreciate it! Patti
Hi Patti! Mat pilates is traditional pilates movements on a mat. To me, this is the harder type of pilates because it does require you to get on the floor. For those of us with bad knees, this can be hard to do during a flare or just in general. I like to do mat pilates, but it is hard physically for me. Reformer pilates is on a machine that is off the ground, so it is like sitting down on a couch. Less knee bending is required and it is also better on your back. I also believe the reformer allows for much deeper core strength movements and isolations. Another difference between mat pilates and reformer is the use of springs. The reformer machine has springs you can adjust to make the movements more difficult. This helps with strengthening muscles and core strength. I have done several different wall pilates programs, and they aren’t anything like reformer pilates. In fact, it is impossible to do classical pilates movements with wall pilates, so I don’t think it is fair to call them pilates…with that being said there are spring boards attached to the wall you see in pilates classes. That type of wall pilates can still have the traditional movements. But that is not what you get in those wall pilates programs.
I do not recommend trying to create something at home. These machines are specifically designed and were created my Joseph Pilates to target muscles safely. It was actually created as a physical therapy.
My advice is to find a beginners class somewhere to learn how the machine works. Even if you just took one or two classes, it would be really beneficial to learn safety tips, how the machine works, and how to keep your body safe while using it. Even though you live far away from anything, if you could find something to learn about just once, it would be helpful for you. The reformer can be intimidating and might not be safe unless you understand how it works. Then, you can get an affordable home reformer to practice on at home. I bought this one and thing it is great for home exercises. There are many reformer classes you can search on YouTube and you can do them at home on your own reformer. Just learning the classic pilates movements on a reformer and doing those often has been really great for my RA!