I Gave Pilates a Year of My Life

From post-surgery setbacks and menopause weight to electric-shock foot pain, I reset my body through a year of Pilates. What I learned about healing, strength, and the surprising truth about knees will change the way you look at this “gentle” workout forever.

“You look snatched! What are you doing?” That was the DM from my friend, makeup artist Daniel Martin, that started it all.

“It’s Pilates, girl!”

At the time, I was crawling my way back from rotator cuff surgery. I’d lost muscle, gained a soft layer of menopause weight, and couldn’t do the workouts that had always defined me — dance, running, circuits, yoga. To make things worse, I’d started waking up at night with searing pain in my feet.

Imagine someone running a cattle prod from your toes to your calves. Frightening doesn’t cover it.

It turned out to be neuropathy, though it took half a year of doctors (and half-hearted answers) to get there. Some shrugged. Some handed me painkillers that banned me from enjoying a glass of wine. But I’ve always believed the body has an extraordinary ability to heal itself — and that movement is the foundation.

Enter Pilates. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1940s to rehabilitate injured soldiers, it has always had one foot in therapy, one in fitness. That appealed to me. I wasn’t interested in chasing an aesthetic. I was desperate to rebuild myself from the ground up.

The Right Teacher Matters

I sampled a few studios before landing on a trainer who, crucially, wasn’t just teaching as a side hustle. For me, a trainer is like a good doctor: they listen, diagnose, and solve the mystery of why your body isn’t firing the way it should.

With my neuropathy, even basic muscle recruitment was skewed. Years of compensating for an injured shoulder had left me lopsided. My first goal? Heal my feet. Pilates is footwork-heavy, and after four months of five-day-a-week practice, the shocking pain was gone.

From there, I graduated to my knees — unstable, saggy, and frankly, oyster-like. Did you know the skin on your thighs ages faster than your face? One day you just wake up, thank menopause and childbirth, and realize your knees have betrayed you. Pilates helped me stabilize, strengthen, and (let’s be honest) smooth things out.

“Pilates has changed your body more than anything else you’ve ever done.”
— my husband, after a year of watching

What Pilates Is Really Like

The dirty secret? You can do it without sweating out your blowout — but don’t mistake that for easy. Pilates torches the tiniest muscle groups and demands balance you didn’t know you lacked.

What I got out of it:

• Visible muscle growth

• Better balance and stability

• Symmetry I hadn’t felt in years

• A body that looks and feels long, lean, and lithe — ballerina muscle

And aesthetically? The proof was in the unsolicited compliments. My husband swore nothing had transformed me more.

Who Is Pilates Right For?

• Post-surgery patients: Many physical therapists recommend Pilates because of its focus on alignment, joint stability, and low-impact strengthening. A 2021 Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies review found Pilates effective for reducing pain and improving function after orthopedic surgery.

• Anyone with neuropathy or nerve issues: Footwork and controlled movement can retrain neuromuscular patterns. A Frontiers in Neurology study suggested targeted exercise can improve nerve regeneration and function in peripheral neuropathy.

• 40+ bodies: Pilates emphasizes spinal mobility, hip stability, and balance — all critical as we age.

• The time-poor but committed: You’ll work hard, but you won’t destroy your hair and makeup.

What I Wear to Pilates

My rule? One color head-to-toe. No hunting for matching leggings, bras, or tanks. Just grab, go, and reform.

Affiliate picks I actually wear:

• Free People Movement Unitard – Stretchy, playful, and one-and-done

• Alo Yoga 7/8 High-Waist Legging – Clean lines, second-skin fit

• Athleta Conscious Crop – Supportive, durable, and endlessly washable

• Grip Socks – Essential for reformer classes (and keeping your feet happy)

• Lightweight Zip Hoodie – To throw on between studio and street

The Reset I Didn’t See Coming

I’d done yoga for twenty years, run marathons, lifted weights. But this? This reshaped me in every way. Pilates wasn’t just a workout — it was a reset button.

It gave me back my feet, my knees, my balance, and yes, a body my husband can’t stop complimenting.

When you give something a year of your life, it gives you a mirror: not just of what you’ve built, but of who you’ve become. For me, Pilates built a stronger, steadier woman who learned that the smallest muscles sometimes make the biggest difference.

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