Paul Cottam(Aged 62)

I was diagnosed with a severe bulging disc/sciatica in October 2022 whereby I could hardly walk. I have always been active throughout my life be it Track Running, Long Distance Running, Refereeing and currently Golf and Park Runs. I was hopeful this injury would be short term and to speed along the recovery I had weekly appointments with the osteopath which reduced to monthly sessions when the pain eased. 12 months down the line with still some pain that still prevents the resumption of my activities, I decided (and through advice) to take up Pilates. Chloe Evans came with a high recommendation and following an initial welcome chat over the telephone, I was invited on board with no commitment. I have now been attending for some two months and there is a definite improvement in my movement, core strength and pain reduction. Prior to attending Pilates, walking the dog for 1KM resulted in sitting down for a rest to ease the pain, even carrying a small basket of shopping was painful. The Pilates sessions are attended as a group of all ages each with their own story for enjoyment and/or recovery. Chloe ensures we take the session with a focused approach but with light hearted interaction. She shows empathy to everyone’s individual needs with a view to each person feeling they are valued. I now feel so much more confident there is light at the end of the tunnel so much so I have now set myself a target date in the next few weeks to resume some light running.