Small Actions, Big Impact

Last week one of my lovely clients, Cheryl, messaged me to say she might have to miss her weekly Pilates session that evening as she faced a situation she hadn't anticipated. An hour later, she confirmed she could make the session, which was great news. Her elderly father had been in hospital for tests that day and as often happens was kept there much longer than anyone was expecting. This meant Cheryl would have to pick him up from the hospital and drive him home at the same time she had Pilates.  It took some shuffling of schedules and re-organisation but she was able to arrange transport for him with another family member and she didn't miss out on Pilates. Cheryl is a runner and has a minor niggling issue we are working on together to resolve so she was very motivated to attend her regular Pilates session that night.

During her session, Cheryl told me how grateful she was to have been consistent with Pilates for the past 6 years and what a difference it had made to her life. As the mother of a teenager who works full time with aging parents, it would have been so easy to let her Pilates training fall away. There are always going to be obstacles in her path but Cheryl rarely misses her session as she knows it is keeping her back pain under control and allows her to enjoy running. Pilates, combined with other small actions all add up and create a big impact in your life when you are overcoming pain, preventing injury, and aging well. 

Hundreds of Small Improvements

In his book "Atomic Habits" James Clear uses the British Cycling Team as an incredible example of how many small changes and improvements can have a big impact.  In 2003 the British cycling team hired a new coach and performance director. Having been a mediocre team for 100 years with only 2 wins the coach brought with him a new strategy that aimed for a tiny margin of improvement in everything the team did. He broke down everything he could think of that goes into riding a bike and improved it by 1 percent, creating a significant increase when you put them all together. They rubbed alcohol on tires to improve their grip. The cyclists wore electrically heated overshorts to maintain ideal muscle temperature. They ensured the suits they wore were thoroughly tested and aerodynamic. They even hired a surgeon to teach each cyclist the most effective way to wash their hands to reduce the chances of catching a cold. They also ensured each cyclist had the correct mattress and pillow for good quality sleep. The list goes on and on. Five years after introducing all these small actions the team won 60% of medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and their winning streak continued for years thanks to the coach and the hundreds of small improvements he made. 

How Can You Apply Small Improvements To Your Own Life?

I find the story of the British cycling team incredibly inspiring. To see a team that was so mediocre turn everything around to become winners is amazing and it was by making hundreds of small improvements, not by training harder but by training smarter.

If you are dealing with chronic pain and want to become and stay pain-free, how would you apply this principle to your own life? 

Daily 5-Minute Sessions Are Valuable

Don't discount small actions repeated consistently to help you achieve your goal of living a pain-free life. It's easy to skip a short Pilates session or leave out your foot exercises but everything you do contributes to becoming and staying pain-free. Every morning I do a 5-minute foot strengthening and stretching routine. If I stop doing this after a few days my feet are stiff and sore and my Achilles tendon will ache. It's only 5 minutes per day but it produces huge results and my body reminds me if I don't do it. Include 5 mins of daily Abdominal strengthening, 5 mins of Glute strengthening etc  Do whatever you need to reach your goal of becoming pain-free.

Improve Your Diet

Sugar and highly processed foods promote inflammation in the body and brain. Most chronic painful conditions are inflammatory. Research diets and include anti-inflammatory foods that promote healing and phase out junk food. Do it gradually, not all at once.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

LIke the cyclists, you need a good mattress and pillow. Cheryl who I mentioned above suffered with a soft mattress for too long which was making her back pain worse. Once she replaced her mattress with a much firmer one the results were incredible. Her back pain completely disappeared. It's worth ensuring you have a good mattress and pillow to support your spine and keep it healthy long-term.

Go through everything you do in life and see whether it is helping your pain level or increasing it. Your computer set up, your kitchen, laundry, your shoes - everything. See if something is actively making your pain worse and change it. Remember hundreds of small improvements add up to great achievements and the pain-free life you deserve to live.

 If you are ready to make positive changes in your life to overcome pain email me at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can start 1 on 1 virtual Pilates sessions with me by signing up HERE and we can schedule an appointment time. If you want to work independently join my online Pilates program of on-demand videos which I specifically designed to help you recover from pain or injury  It would be my pleasure to assist you in implementing small actions for great impact through Pilates!