The cost of human health has been very present in the news lately. A plurality of Americans don’t have (or can’t afford) health insurance. Mention “The Public Option” and you’ll hear extremely opinionated – if not misinformed – outcries from either side of the political aisle.

If anyone reading this has ever had an injury (and most of you have), then you’ve probably gone through this mental routine:

To Self: “Ouch! This is not getting better on its own. Maybe it’s time to see the doctor.” checks bank acct. “Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just take a few more Ibuprofen. Try no to put pressure on it. I’ll be all right for awhile longer…”

We’re not going to get political here. Let’s leave that to the “Journalists” on the major news networks. Our goal is to offer you a possible alternative to costly medical procedures & rehabilitation*. If we could potentially save you thousands of dollars, and help you prevent further debilitating injuries, would you continue reading? Yeah, we thought so…

A Familiar Story

Have you ever noticed that the moment we injure ourselves it’s often accompanied by this thought: “Agh! That was stupid!”? Like a moment of clarity, maybe brought on by our brain’s helpful endorphins. We’re suddenly aware that our knee/ankle/wrist/back/etc totally wasn’t meant to do that!

It doesn’t need to take an injury to develop awareness of our body’s limits ~ or its possibilities. Pilates can & will give you this awareness. And body knowledge is body power. So how can this knowledge save you the big bucks?

Who’s Using Pilates, Anyway?

I went to high school in Lake Placid, NY. Not surprisingly, the school was a big draw for aspiring Olympic athletes. Alumni included Stanley Cup winner & 2002 Olympic Silver medalist Mike Richter, and World-Champ skier Thomas Vonn ~ whose wife Lindsey Vonn has recently made headlines, bringing home the Gold in Vancouver. In fact, Lindsey’s medal-winning teammate Julia Mancuso proudly incorporates Pilates into her training regiment. Her personal coach, Kazuko Ikeda, is a certified Pilates instructor.

Though I only skied for fun (c’mon, I’m from South Carolina!), many of my classmates were competitive skiers. I’ll never forget hearing horror stories from athletes, returning after a training accident on the slopes. The first question was always, “Is it a torn ACL?” This fairly common injury was/is a potential career-ending one for would-be Olympians. Serious business, indeed. Vonn’s victories are made more impressive when one learns that she’d sustained similar injuries, yet managed to overcome them, without surgery. An inspiring story, with much to teach us.

How Much To Fix Me, Doc?

The avg. cost of minor ACL surgery is in the neighborhood of $6,000. If you have good insurance, they’ll maybe cover 2/3rds of that. Ask around, and you’ll discover that more serious surgeries on this delicate part of the body can set you back as much as $30-40K! Anyone who’s ever injured a knee knows that it doesn’t take much physical force to do so. Plant your foot the wrong way, shift your balance just so, and, “AGH!!! That was stupid!” Sound familiar? 10Lbs of pressure and you could be out tens of thousands of dollars!

Good News!

Pilates will not only not cost you tens of thousands of $, it very well could save you from needing surgery. Furthermore, Pilates can be one of the best ways to rehabilitate an existing injury after surgery. Do yourself (and your body) a favor ~ check out our rates and compare them with those of even a brief visit to the hospital for a minor surgery (is there even such a thing?). Sound like a better deal? Yeah, we think so too…

*Disclaimer: Always, always, always consult your doctor before beginning ANY type of physical rehab. The more you know about your injury, the more we can do to help you regain strength & function (and maybe even avoid the knife!).

Pilates Enthuiasts May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their second consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball Thursday, playing through a steady and sometimes driving rain to beat China in straight sets and extend their winning streak to 108 matches in a row.

“Ever since the ball dropped in Athens, we’ve wanted to repeat as Olympic champions,” May-Treanor said. “No one’s ever done it.” No one’s ever won 14 consecutive Olympic matches before, either, sweeping away their opponents in both Beijing and Athens without losing a single set.

To compete and prevail against the best in the world their trainers developed a progressive hybrid training program that included plyometric exercises, stretching, isokinetic work ( that gets our fast twitch muscles going) free weights, strength maintenance and their favorite Pilates.

Pilates has become the exercise of choice of the best in the world as a way to develop a strong core, prevent injury and enhance overall functional performance.

Madonna is probably the most famous and devoted Pilates practitioner, but many other familiar faces are showing up in Pilates studios. 

•  Gisele Bundchen, whose amazing body has earned her well over $38 million a year, keeps her body looking great with diet and exercise, including surfing, Pilates, yoga and dancing. 

•  LeBron James, NBA Rookie of the Year in 2004, has adopted a victory gesture known as “Thrown Up The Rock” named after one of his Pilates Reformer exercises. 

•  Oprah Winfrey practices Pilates two to three times a week because she says “moving out from the center (core), awareness, harmony,  balance, and control help me embody where I’m going with my life. I’m moving from my core. I move differently. Pilates really has changed my life.”

 •  Olympic volleyball champions May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh credit their trainers with developing a hybrid training program which includes Pilates.  

•  Brandon Routh, who portrayed Superman, used a mix of Pilates and yoga designed by his trainer.  “It’s all about core training so I could be flexible on the wires (used to make him appear to fly) and endure long hours.”

Love this photo of Greg Oden, recently #1 Draft Pick of the Portland Trailblazers, with Kim Reis in her studio as she worked Greg through their Pilates routine.

Photo courtesy of BMAC Photography

Greg Oden: Pilates, yes.
Greg Oden is rehabbing his knee through weight-lifting routines, strength exercises, drills and yes, pilates. Check out as Greg takes you through his pilates training.