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Patients feel the power of peaceful Pilates

12th September 2024

Pilates at St Luke’s Turnchapel HQ

It’s mid-morning on a Friday and in the conservatory at St Luke’s Turnchapel HQ a handful of patients are perched on the edge of their chairs, lifting their feet from left to right, right to left, in small, controlled movements, under the careful direction of physio Charlotte.

On the surface, this gentle, but challenging, chair Pilates session is all about strengthening core muscles to help improve or maintain mobility and balance. But dig a little deeper and the power of these weekly gatherings goes way beyond physical benefits.

Like all St Luke’s care, the focus of the class is holistic, tuning in to mind, body and spirit to encourage and enable patients to live as fully as possible, for as long as possible.

So much more than a physical exercise class

St Luke’s specialist physiotherapists Charlotte Muquit and Rachel Medland are both trained Pilates teachers who have hosted countless classes in the community and witnessed the positive effects of regular practice on people’s sense of wellbeing.

Earlier this year they teamed up to offer small group sessions to some of the patients they usually see in their own homes, and the response has been really encouraging.

Rachel said: “Our session is so much more than a physical exercise class. Patients can become quite isolated at home, so the social aspect is important too. It’s about them making the effort to get to the session, meeting up with other people, and the chance to relax and chat at the end with tea and biscuits.

“It’s open to patients who can get to the hospice and can move fairly well. Partners can join in as well and it can be very helpful for them too, especially if they are stressed and feel they haven’t got time to go out and do an exercise class themselves. It’s small and intimate because that feels right.

“When you’re doing Pilates, you are thinking about the body and how you are moving, and not anything else. It’s great for relaxation and focusing the mind. A lot of our patients become disconnected from their bodies and it’s about grounding them again. Combining exercises with breathing and breath control really works well.”

A positive outlook

For patient Stephen Haig, the sessions are a welcome bonus on top of the other support he receives from St Luke’s at home.

Outside in the hospice car park, his new Audi is on standby for a 1,000-mile road trip to Austria and back, with his wife, Gisella, to visit her family. A few months ago a journey like that was only a pipe dream. Now he’s even set his sights on a future holiday in Australia.

“I have a large inoperable sarcoma. Last November I was told it was palliative care only,” said Stephen, 70. “I nearly died around Christmas time, then a doctor said he could give me some radiotherapy. A few weeks later I was not in pain, and I got my appetite back, after losing four stone in four weeks. My prognosis went from one hour to around 12 months.

“From then on things have started to improve. I am a lot healthier than I was. With physio help from Rachel I managed to get off crutches and now I can walk around.”

Stephen’s first wife died from cancer, and he had an idea of what might be to come.

“You can go through some very dark times with cancer. With mine, it was inoperable. You go through a decline and start to give up. I had no quality of life.

“Now I have a positive outlook. I think about what I can do, not what I can’t do, and I take it day by day.

“It’s good for me to get out of the house and meet people”

“I am very impressed with St Luke’s. The nurses were originally coming out to see me, but at the moment they phone me once a week. They said once they got me on St Luke’s books, then I can ring if I need more help.”

He requested to carry on his physiotherapy with Rachel and she suggested he came along to the Pilates classes.

“Sometimes my wife joins in too. It’s good for me to get out of the house and meet people. I don’t have a lot of friends in Plymouth because I only moved here six years ago and then still worked in Taunton. I also see Malcolm, my St Luke’s befriender, once every couple of weeks for a chat for an hour or so. It’s all important stuff.”

Even more important is Stephen’s journey across the Tyrol in his shiny new motor.

“I love fast cars,” confesses Stephen, his eyes lighting up. “I had to give up my boat because I couldn’t manage that any more, but I bought the Audi – even though I don’t know how long I’ve got. I am sensible and will stop every now and then on the way. If I get taken really ill, then Gisella can drive home, and we can be back in around 24 hours.”

Person-centred rehabilitation and goals

At the end of the session, it’s time to decamp to comfy armchairs while a gentle guided relaxation recording washes over the room, transporting everyone, including Charlotte and Rachel, to a peaceful imaginary meadow and the wonders of nature.

“I’m usually rushing to get here, but you feel really calm when you leave and it’s wonderful,” said patient Teresa Naylor, a local marine author and wildlife blogger who says she finds the Pilates class incredibly relaxing and worthwhile.

“I go in hyper and leave calm! I used to go to the gym, but I haven’t been able to because of my energy levels. I’ve done the Pilates class four or five times.

“It’s really good because you can do the class at whatever level you like. It is very valuable, and it’s good to catch up with Rachel and Charlotte. I know I can get in touch with St Luke’s if I have any issues, but it is very helpful to have this link.”

Building your physical and mental strength and boosting your spirits can make a world of difference when there are dreams, big or small that you want to fulfil.

Charlotte said: “Movement and exercise, in whatever form, always heal – whether it is the body, mind, spirit, or all of those.  For us it is all about person-centred rehabilitation and goals.

“We are working with our knowledge and skills – and the bravery and inspiration of the people we care for – ­ in whatever way we can, so they can go out and achieve whatever is important to them.”

The classes take place ever week for patients and family members who are referred to Charlotte or Rachel, usually by St Luke’s clinical nurse specialists who assess patients at home.

Therapy at St Luke’s

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