When a 50-year-old lawyer named David Freeman first tried Pilates 21 years ago, he had no idea it would heal a debilitating back injury, lead him to a new career and transform his life.
Pilates Style: I know you live in Fort Lauderdale now, but you grew up in New York, right?
David Freeman: Yes, I was born in the Bronx in 1945 and moved to Westchester County, NY. I attended Hobart College and Georgetown Law School, graduating in 1969. I moved back to Westchester and practiced law in New York for over 40 years, then moved to Florida in 2000.
PS: How did you discover Pilates?
David: I have always been athletic and eventually, I ended up injuring my back. By my late 40s, it had gotten really bad, and I was advised to have surgery. Pilates was my last shot before surgery. I went to a teacher named Carol Baker, whom I later found out had trained with Romana Kryzanowska.
PS: Did you see results immediately?
David: Not immediately. Carol had to modify the exercises because of my pain level, so the improvement was gradual. But as soon as the pain went down and I could start working harder, my body started changing. They told me when I first started that I’d feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 and have a new body in 30— and they were right. Twenty-one years later, I have no back problems and never had surgery.
PS: How did you end up going through Romana’s teacher-training program?
David: Carol saw that I was excited about what Pilates had done for me and that I wanted to make it a part of my life. She told me to see Romana at Drago’s in NYC. She explained that Romana had been trained by Joseph Pilates and taught with him.
This story is from the September - October 2016 edition of Pilates Style.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September - October 2016 edition of Pilates Style.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Finding New Momentum
Overcoming obstacles caused by the pandemic, the virtual version of this popular festival still achieved its goals.
Carola Trier's Extraordinary Journey
In his authoritative biography of the first woman to open a studio, Reiner Grootenhuis delved into her personal papers to tell the harrowing story of her time in a prison camp during World War II.
Racism in the Pilates Industry
Incidents of police brutality and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests have shed a bright light on systemic racism in the U.S., including in the Pilates industry. Here, Black instructors share their experiences.
For Self-defense
Moves of the Month
Comfort Food Made Healthy
This fall, cozy up to tantalizing comfort food that’s also healthy. A new cookbook from Kristin Cavallari shows you how.
Pilates Postcard
A Pilates teacher shares how the method is making waves abroad.
The Ultimate Gift
One year ago, Kahley Schiller’s life was completely upended by an extreme health crisis. But thanks to her 20-year Pilates practice, the 40-year-old was able to recover quickly.
Revelations
For Sarita Allen, a star of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a protégée of Kathleen Stanford Grant, Pilates was key to her decades-long career.
Meaning WITHIN THE Movement
The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine help you go deeper into your practice, promising plenty of play along the way.
PILATES IN THE HOOD
Though she’s trained many top stars, Kim Carruthers says she’s most proud of her work as the founder and director of a nonprofit bringing the method to underserved communities.
