The Soderlind Method

I followed The Söderlind Method consistently for about a year, working out 3 to 5 times a week. At first I absolutely loved it. The workouts were fun, challenging and made me feel stronger so I had no reason to think they weren’t the right fit for my body. I also genuinely loved the barre workouts. They’re some of the best I’ve done. It wasn’t until almost a year later that I started developing lower back pain from SI joint irritation along with knee pain. After reviewing nearly 100 different workouts I’d completed, I realized many of the pilates workouts repeated the same movement patterns over and over with frequent deep lunge variations, repeated plank to downward dog transitions, pigeon stretches and forward fold pigeon. Looking back, I believe repeating those same movement patterns week after week contributed to my lower back SI joint irritation. Because the pain developed so gradually, I assumed it was just my body and never connected it to the repetitive movement patterns until much later. Eventually I started dreading the workouts because I never knew how my body was going to feel afterward. I also wish there had been more guidance around equipment. I did the entire program on a regular yoga mat because there was never any recommendation to use a thicker pilates mat. Looking back, I really wish that had been talked about, especially with how much kneeling and floor work there is. I’m sharing this because I wish someone had told me that just because a program feels amazing in the beginning doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be the right fit for your body long term. Listen to your body if it starts telling you something isn’t working.