“I have been training with Pilates for nearly five years and for the last three or four with Jen Bellenger at PillarPerformance. Pilates gives me both the things I needed to keep my body as healthy as I could. Strengthening and flexibility.”

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in early 2014. It came as quite a shock. Not being one to let things happen to me, I dove right in to learning what I would need to do, to not only manage my symptoms, but slow the disease progression if I could. As you can imagine the internet is loaded with thousands of articles on what works and what doesn’t. The one recommendation that kept coming up in my research was exercise. Those with PD were encouraged to keep moving. I was already an elite athlete for several years. First a long distance runner and then, a cyclist. I was never much of gym person nor was into stretching but one of the predominate long term symptoms of this disease was slowed movement and rigidity. So I was going to have to add strength training to my exercise and I was going to have to remain flexible or the disease was going to confine me to a sedentary life. I didn’t want to be that guy shuffling his feet wherever I went. Enter Pilates! I have been training with Pilates for nearly five years and for the last three or four with Jen Bellenger at PillarPerformance. Pilates gives me both the things I needed to keep my body as healthy as I could. Strengthening and flexibility. Two of the many things I love about Jen is her commitment to me as a client but also her commitment to her craft. She not only trains me but is constantly reinforcing and growing her own skills so that I and the rest of her clients get the most out of the time we spend together. What I love about PillarPerformance is the quiet and intimate environment created by Collen and Jeremy. Everything we need is there in a cozy setting that makes you feel comfortable. I can’t imagine a better place to train to achieve your goals. PillarPerformance and Jen are part of my wellness team. I know I am in good hands!