When the Pilates Teacher Gets Injured: A Love Letter to Maintenance

People have found it quite funny that I injured my back.

I understand why - I teach Pilates, I move for a living and I talk about strength, alignment and care for the body every day. But this injury has been one of the most powerful reminders of why I do what I do, and why Pilates isn’t something you “graduate from”, it’s something that supports you for life.

I live with Hypermobility Syndrome, which means my joints move more than they should. Flexibility has never been my problem, stability is. Without strength, control and awareness, my body simply doesn’t hold itself together as well as it needs to. Pilates is my glue.

In my 20s, I was told I would likely be in a wheelchair by the time I was 40. That prediction could not have been more wrong. Not only am I walking, I’ve built a career in exercise, movement and rehabilitation. I never forget how fortunate that is and I never underestimate the role consistent, intelligent movement has played in it.

This particular injury wasn’t dramatic or reckless, it was life. Two back-to-back weeks of long drives moving children to university, lots of lifting, tiredness and disrupted routines. Then, the final straw: my lovely dog suddenly dragging me down the road after a cat who was clearly enjoying the chaos. The result? A disc torn in two places.

It’s now healed.

While some injuries can’t be avoided or predicted, this experience has reinforced something I believe deeply: maintenance and self-care don’t stop being important, for any of us. Even teachers. Even professionals. Even people who “know better.”

Rehabilitating myself reminded me why Pilates works so well. Not because it makes us invincible, but because it gives us:

• Strength without rigidity

• Awareness without fear

• Confidence in our bodies

• Tools for recovery, not just performance

Most importantly, it gives us self-agency, the understanding that we can support our bodies, adapt when things change and rebuild when life throws us off balance.

I’m incredibly excited to be back teaching and demonstrating again. Coming back stronger, wiser and with renewed empathy has only deepened my love for this work. I can’t wait to help, inspire and support others, not just to move well, but to trust their bodies again.

Pilates, for me, has never been about perfection. It’s about fun, community, resilience, strength - and knowing your body has your back.