“I want to recommend Nancy and Balanced Place. I had an ankle injury ten years ago that affected my mobility and locomotion. Nancy is gentle, talented and a great communicator. I am seeing changes in my body and awareness after only a couple of sessions. My advice is to forget about personal trainers and spend half the money to utilize Nancy’s gifts to help you get back into conditioning. I had a lot of reservations about using pilates but not only is her approach sustainable but her style will overcome even the most resistant mind (like mine!)”

- Caitlin A. Chatsworth, CA
02/15/2010
***** 5 Stars!

From Dr. Kathleen R: (January 27, 2010)

I’m not usually one for posting comments on yelp, but really feel the need to share how amazing Nancy and Balanced Place are. I’ve been working with Nancy weekly for about 6 months now and am just amazed by the results. I started sessions  after finishing almost a year of PT for chronic issues and getting minimal results. Nancy understood my issues immediately and has since brought speedy and continued improvement of my chronic issues as well as overall balance/health. I really felt a difference after the first session! And I always feel totally relaxed by Nancy’s warm demeanor and bright smile.

During our sessions Nancy is completely in tune with my body’s alignment and movements, often able to correct a subtle habit that will make a huge difference! She is very knowledgeable within her field and is able to change lesson plans on a whim, to address whatever is needed that day. Her stellar understanding of anatomy and biomechanics in addition to pilates really makes her an ideal instructor for post-rehab exercise/recovery as well as all strength training!

As a physician, I’m aware of the many different exercise regimens available. I truly believe that whether you are looking for a new exercise regimen, a compliment to a current one, or post-rehab exercise, Balanced Place will certainly help you excel.

We all get an aching back once in a while but then there’s that kind of back pain that is more excruciating. I believe Pilates can help a great deal.

Pilates assists individuals to recover from acute and chronic back pain and associated symptoms. It offers a gentle yet effective approach to improving overall strength, balance and flexibility. Pilates may be modified for any client’s individual needs. Many back pain clients have tight low backs as well as weak and imbalanced stabilizer muscle groups. By teaching clients to engage their core muscle group when lifting objects or even their own legs, the incidence of back pain may be lessened.

Many low back pain clients lack a general awareness of their body and therefore do not know how to move without causing more pain. Pilates instruction educates the client how to move slowly and precisely in deliberate and precise actions. Increasing general body awareness helps correct faulty muscle patterns and allows the client to participate in the process of identifying muscular imbalances and misalignments. As soon as the client gains a greater sense of body awareness pain may be managed by encouraging the client to stop any range of motion prior to pain occurring. Even if it takes instructing the client to only move in quarter-inch increments, (as has been done with fibromyalgia clients) it is possible to empower the client to feel he or she has some control over the pain felt and therefore enables the client to manage the occurrence of pain overall. Even if the origins of back pain appear idiopathic, addressing the cause of a client’s kinesiophobia by giving them tools to control spinal movement and the load of associated stabilizer muscle groups, allows the client to recover faster than telling them to ignore the seemingly irrational fear. The experience of pain is real to the individual and a way to help him or her navigate beyond and through the pain is to offer one a sense of control over it in the first place.

Overall, Pilates addresses back pain on both a mental and physical level. Clients will learn stabilize their spines through a series of core strengthening exercises and will also learn to understand their body’s response to perceived pain. Once a client develops a strong and stable trunk , it is also crucial to provide tools to enhance flexibility using the “core” as the foundation for all body movement and activity. Pilates offers clients the opportunity to apply the body awareness and core engagement techniques learned in their sessions to their every day lives. Stemming from the fact the client is actively involved in the process of recovery during the sessions, future likelihood of reinjury of the back lessens and compliance of practicing skills for spinal stability and core engagement increases.