Chloe Dallimore’s life came crashing down after a freak accident left her right arm completely immobile. But despite what the doctors told her, she was able to cure her chronic pain through Pilates and dance.
“You will never dance again, your arm will be frozen at a 45 degree angle, and you definitely won’t be able to complete your physiotherapy degree as you will be unable to treat and manoeuvre clients. There is nothing more we can do for you.”
This was the prognosis from the Head Physiotherapist, following five weeks of daily exercises in the hospital gym.
Eight weeks earlier, at the age of 17, whilst working a ‘gap year’ in the UK before commencing university, I had shattered the humerus (upper arm bone) in my right arm, into five pieces.
Emergency surgery to insert two pins down either side of the bone saved my arm. The greatest concern prior to surgery was that the shattered bones might sever vital nerves, rendering the whole arm useless, and possibly leading to amputation.
Once the pins were inserted, the danger was still not over. The pins would have to be removed in 12 – 24 months, and the danger of nerve damage was again a grave concern.
As I stood in the street outside the hospital following my physiotherapist’s prognosis, my first thought was, “this is not right”.
I had danced since I was three. I was active and fit. I was young. There must be something else I can do.
I had no medical or anatomy training, so I turned to what I knew. Dance.
I started travelling into London once a week to take ballet class and eventually I was taking ballet classes three times a week.
Soon I discovered the dance studio’s Pilates classes. Within three months of Pilates training, my arm had almost full range, and I auditioned for two full-time Performing Arts Schools in London.
I was accepted into both, received a scholarship to London Studio Centre, and spent the next three years studying a Dance Performance Degree.
I never forgot the impact that Pilates had in rehabilitating my injuries, and it was this that directed me to get certified and eventually become a trainer at XTEND.
XTEND is the perfect workout for all fitness goals and all ages and capabilities. Its foundation lies within Pilates, and incorporates dance-based movements designed to maximise cardiovascular workout and functional movement. Our modifications and advancements means we can cater for everybody, which is hugely rewarding as an instructor and studio owner.
In rehabilitating my arm, I did a lot of focused work on my triceps and upper back, which is an area I know lots of women are keen to sculpt. Here are three of my favourite exercises that can be done at home or on-the-go.
XTEND Barre Exercises That Cured My Chronic Pain
1. Seated tricep dips
2. Single tricep presses
3. Standing tricep extensions
Source: Body & Soul “I was told I would never dance again“
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