Killer Pilates

I am recovering today from a "killer pilates" sesssion yesterday. The Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS)research literature has shown that patients and dancers with JHS do not tolerate overuse or repetition well, partly as a result of a lack of muscular endurance, which can lead to further injury (McCormack and colleagues, 2004; Roussel, Nijs, Mottram,Van Moorsel, Truijen, & Stassijns, 2009; Ruemper, 2008). Hypermobile patients and dancers might be less able to tolerate repetition because the muscles are working harder to control an extra range of movement, which might explain why their muscles fatigue sooner than in non-hypermobiles, and they feel tired (Keer, Edwards-Fowler & Mansi, as cited in Keer & Grahame, 2003).

It is interesting that as soon as I get too tired of a particular exercise I just go straight into my hyperextension to relieve the pain and muscle fatigue, but that is presumably because I lack endurance, as the literature suggests. Anyway, the fatigue is very real, and at times I do feel like I have been run over by a bus. It lasts a few hours/days, and then goes away. Today I am wondering 'why bother' with my muscles since it sometimes feels easier to collapse into my joints. Also I find my knees are so much stronger in their hyperextension than when they are removed from it. My knees are like wobbly jelly when they are not hyperextended. If K, T, and M read this, they will defintely tell me off. Maybe I should dance completely bandaged up!!!