"Without Pilates, my back was so bad that I would have had to retire from my profession."
Claire, costume designer

"Dentistry is very bad for your back because the way you have to sit creates tension and I was always in pain at the end of the day. Since I started doing Pilates four or five years ago, I sit with better posture, and have much less tension in my muscles."
Gerard, dental surgeon

"Last year I fell and broke my leg in four places and the surgeon doubted that I would walk again. I came to Alan with my crutches and he said, 'Don't worry, you'll walk.' The surgeon couldn't believe the progress I made and now I don't even limp. To be honest, I couldn't have coped with life in a wheelchair, so Alan and his assistants literally gave my life back to me."
Janine, aged 80

"When I needed a hip resurfacing operation, Alan and his team taught me some movements to help relieve the pain beforehand, then afterwards they speeded my recovery and helped me to walk without limping again."
Barry

"I found Alan Herdman's studio when I was recovering from a stroke, which had left a partial paralysis, and I found it an ideal continuation of the intensive physiotherapy I had been receiving. Instead of passively relying on the physiotherapist to move my limbs, I was encouraged to concentrate on waking up different muscle groups. After every session I feel uplifted and am actually walking taller. I ditched my walking stick after six months of Pilates."
Rachel

"I've had an ongoing back problem as long as I can remember and my osteopath suggested I went to Alan's studio. Part of the problem is that I play the viola and have to hold this huge instrument under my chin, which is idiotic for someone with back problems. Pilates helped me to build up my muscles - otherwise, I simply couldn't have continued with the viola."
Hilly, designer