Physio-Pilates Approach for Women Living With Pain, Stress and Lipedema
A physiotherapist and lymphedema therapist explains why slow, adaptable pilates can calm the nervous system, reduce pain, support lymphatic flow and help women rebuild trust in their bodies.
Ingrid Steen is a 44-year-old physiotherapist, lymphedema therapist, pilates instructor, and mother of two from Arendal, Norway. She runs PilatesUniverset and works at Helsekilden Fysioterapi AS.
She graduated as a physiotherapist in 2007, became a physio-pilates instructor in 2008, and has been teaching groups and working with patients ever since. In 2022 she completed training as a lymphedema therapist.
What ties her work together is simple:
A holistic view of health — and a belief in what we can do ourselves.
Nutrition, movement, joy, and stress management are central to her approach and to what she teaches.
From hating gym class to finding a form of movement that felt right
As a child and teenager, Ingrid disliked gym class. She felt slow, uncoordinated, and never quite “good at” the types of exercise that involved speed or competition.
That feeling stayed with her — and it shapes how she teaches today.
She knows how it feels:
to struggle with exercise
to dread movement
to feel like your body isn’t on your team
When she discovered pilates during her studies, she felt something shift. The pace was slower, the movements more controlled, and the focus far less on performance. After one class in physio-pilates during physiotherapy school, she knew she needed to learn more.
That experience — of movement that actually felt good — is what she now tries to give others.
What physio-pilates is — and why it works so well for “bodies with a history”
Ingrid describes pilates as slow, dynamic strength training with focus on control and breathing.
Where many experience yoga as positions and stretches that can feel uncomfortable or painful, her pilates classes revolve around:
movement rather than poses
strength and control rather than perfection
adaptation rather than pushing through
The physio-pilates approach breaks down classical exercises into simpler pieces. You start low. You build gradually. The goal isn’t a flat stomach or advanced positions — it’s a body that:
tolerates more in everyday life
has softer joints
develops stronger, more coordinated muscles
feels safe and predictable to live in
