I was very, very resistant to trying Pilates. I saw it as quackery, something akin to laying on of…read morehands, and despite having had back issues for over two decades, which included herniations at L4-5 and L5-S1, both of which had protrusions and one with an extruded fragment, I resisted. I had undergone a discectomy in 2005, and when I blew the second disc in December of 2016 and was told that it could not be resolved surgically, believed that my life ahead would consist of pain management. Not ideal.
Several people had sworn by Pilates for their back issues, but I believed my issues to be unique (which was of course ridiculous). I told my partner that I was considering trying it, and she immediately got us a package of private sessions. Kelly turned out to be the teacher we spent the most time with over the past year plus. She listened to my prattling on, she was patient and very involved with helping me with positioning, breathing, and what to look for regarding feel and technique. She was patient, knowledgeable, supportive and very kind. The workouts were much more challenging than I would have ever expected, and I felt muscles working that I had never used before, despite being a lifelong athlete and fitness buff.
The morning after our first class, I woke up pain free for the first time in decades. Seriously. I was an immediate convert. I have continued with Pilates, and have had Kelly as a teacher many times, always with good results and always, always impressed with Kelly's abilities and approach as a teacher. I will miss her at Optimum Pilates, but I guarantee that we will find her and take classes from her in the future. I trust and respect her skills and knowledge as a teacher that much. I recommend her without hesitation or qualification. She is great.