At 10.30 on a frosty Sunday morning Ben Arogundade was playing in defence for his local non-league football team.<\/p>\n
Ben was fit – for 20 years he’d run five miles three mornings a week, and for 30 years played competitive non-league football. Despite being 48 years old \u2013 the oldest player in the team by far \u2013 Ben was still a regular on the team.<\/p>\n
Chasing full pelt after a ball, he felt a sudden sharp pain in the back of his right thigh. He hobbled to a halt with a pulled hamstring muscle, the pain in his leg compounded by the dread that his increasing injury rate was threatening his ability to compete at the level he was used to.<\/p>\n
Unwilling to hang up his boots just yet, Ben had heard that Pilates was recommended both to prevent injury and to enhance performance. After an initial assessment, Ben began a twice-a-week programme of Dynamic Pilates sessions, with his Trainer prescribing extra home exercises.<\/p>\n
In Ben\u2019s words: \u201c After a few simple exercises at my first session, my body was quivering like a jelly on a washing- machine. I thought I was strong, but I was weak! I thought I was hard, but here \u2013 off the pitch \u2013 I was struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though Ben was a life-long exerciser, and these were beginners\u2019 classes, he found them tough; \u201cThe first week was a blur of discomfort, and I would return home wide-eyed with pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
But by the second week he started to feel a difference, and after eight weeks Ben was noticeably stronger. His posture straightened and he found that he could run more efficiently. More importantly, he got through a practice football game without injury.<\/p>\n