My journey to Pilates started with low back pain when I was just a teenager. My chronic pain worsened throughout my high school and college years, significantly exacerbated by multiple car accidents (SEVEN to be exact, plus being hit as a pedestrian…but who’s counting?). My mid to late twenties found me spending about 8 days per month laid up in a zero gravity chair, taking muscle relaxers to quell the constant spasming in my back, and relying on friends for help with everyday activities like grocery shopping and cleaning. At 27 years old, this was my normal; until I found Pilates.  

Cut to 20 years later (yadda, yadda, yadda) and my life looks completely different. I’m older, but my body feels younger than it was back then. All of the activities and adventuring my friends were doing while I was debilitated with pain, I can now do. I hike in the mountains, cross country ski, do Yoga, take dance classes, and can perform all the activities of daily life without fear of my back “going out” on me. Not to mention, I have been happily teaching the incredible benefits of Pilates since my life was forever changed by it. Pilates was the tool I used to get my body to a place of strength, health, and vitality. It has never been about a workout, although don’t get me wrong, it’s a phenomenal one! This idea of using Pilates as a catalyst for living one’s best and boldest life was the foundation for building my business, and it continues to be the guiding principle behind our studio.  

We have recently launched our “I do Pilates so I can...” campaign to highlight our studio community’s successes with Pilates and what it has helped them do better in their lives outside of the studio. OK, I’ll start: “I do Pilates so I can… live a bold and adventurous life free from limitations and pain.”   

- Donna Ligon, Owner and Instructor, Bolder Pilates

Follow our campaign on Instagram and Facebook, and we invite you to share your story with us.  

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