I have one child. I should have had seven. I’m a big fan of kids and an even bigger fan of being a mom. We raised our child to think for himself, to be independent and to make his own way in life. And then when he did just that and moved away, I was dumbfounded. “What IDIOT raised this kid to be independent?! Stupid, stupid, stupid!” So my mom says, “You know, you never really stop being a mom”. And I thought: Do not bring up the fact that I just called you. But what I said was: “Do I have anyone’s swim meet to go to today? Curfews to enforce? Girlfriends to screen? No, no and… thankfully, NO.” My mom asked, “Aren’t there any circumstances where you get to be someone else’s Mom? To enjoy being able to share and to care for someone for just a little while? I mean you care for people for a living right?” And this is what has saved my son. If it weren’t for those words, I would be in his face, 24-7-365
It’s true. I do get to play Mom. Today I was at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. Those soldiers, the Wounded Warriors, are my son’s age. I definitely get to play Mom there. I get to help them, show them something new and send them on their way with a little more information that may get them closer to where they want to be. What’s interesting? And this is what I really love: they hang out with me sometimes. I don’t mean that we go to lunch. I mean they stay and sit with me. They are free to leave, to go do their own thing, but instead they stay and sit: on the Trap Table, the reformer or in a wheelchair. It feels like when I would make cookies when my son was little and he would just hang out. Just “be there”. There’s probably no other moment that makes me feel more like I am doing something important than just having a 20-something that wants to hang out. It’s a privilege to be able to play that role, whether it’s for a lifetime with my son or for one-hour with a solider. It’s my soul food.
To segue, ungracefully, back to Pilates, like any good kid, these soldiers have taught me more than I have taught them. For instance, most have a traumatic brain injury. With the help of the physical therapists at the hospital, a chat with a physical therapy professor or two and a lot of digging for research on traumatic brain injury, I feel more comfortable now that I am doing something that can help them. I am also feeling more comfortable about sharing what I have learned about traumatic brain injury.
Why You Came To Visit: The Exercises
You came today, to learn about exercises that can help your clients. Here’s a shortcut to what I have learned about traumatic brain injury (TBI). These items can be applied to several types of nerve injury as well. Have a conversation with your client’s doctor and physical therapist and work together as a powerful trifecta.
- TBI’s are not all the same. TBI’s are unique and chances are very good that the symptoms could be as unique as the person standing in front of you. In a couple of years and in my very limited experience, I’ve seen TBI mimic stroke. I’ve seen TBI’s paralyze a single limb. I’ve seen it slow down thinking or result in headaches. One in three TBI patients have problems with depression. Sometimes it becomes severe as the injury dictates the emotions more and more.
- Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. We all learn through repetition. Your TBI clients are no different. Give them lots and lots of repetition. Nerves are damaged and need to find new pathways. Other nerve cells have died and sitting still will not reinforce the possibilities of finding or creating new pathways. Don’t do 10 repetitions. Do 10 minutes. Pick an exercise and a resistance that is appropriate for that period of time and just keep on keeping on. I like leg presses. Put on an easy weight and just keep moving. It’s like going for a 10-minute walk. Easy, consistent pace. This is especially great when walking is not possible but leg presses are.
- Balance with the eyes. As a Pilates instructor you already know 20 different exercises that reinforce balance. Now add the eyes. Find a balance that is easy to hold, not a wobbly one. Now move the eyes: right to left, up and down, around in a circle. It doesn’t matter how you move the eyes, just move them while maintaining balance.
- Avoid heat. Nerve cells are hard at work trying to heal. Don’t give them another battle to fight by over-heating them. For the muscles, too cold isn’t going to work either. Keep the temperature just right. Talk to your client. Turn the air/heat down and up as needed. Different people will need different temperatures. See what they need.
Those tips should get you started in the right direction. And by the way? Thanks for letting me play Mom. J
Mom Moments.
Now, when I teach, I definitely notice, and am extremely grateful for, the Mom Moments. I have a little girl in Kansas that thinks I am her newest (not to mention oldest) BFF. There’s a little girl in California who has started a book of “Karena-isms”. There’s a student that wants to be a Pilates instructor and another who wants to further her education of Scolio-Pilates®. I have all these Mom Moments that I live for. Teaching Neuro- and Scolio-Pilates® has become my new “making-cookies-in-the-kitchen” moment: My Mom Moment. Thanks for letting me be Mom.