Scoliosis Specialist utilizing ScolioYoga & ScolioPilates

12/30/2025

With 2025 winding down, it’s time to pause, reflect, and recharge for the year ahead. I am so thankful for each of you.

I’m looking forward to 2026, where we’ll refocus on a customized 1:1 home practice for your spinal health and a resilient mindset.

See you in January—let’s start the year with a renewed commitment to feeling your best.

12/22/2025

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you a happy holiday season and say thank you to my client base for trusting me with your health of your spine. ❤️

That trust means a great deal to me. I look forward to seeing your continued progress in the coming year. Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year!

11/28/2025

Holiday Gift Giving - A Simple Holiday Stocking filled with goodies.....

For the 14th consecutive year, I am organizing a holiday gift-giving drive to support underprivileged children right here in our community.

Over the years, your generosity has been overwhelming, and I am once again appealing for your commitment to make a significant difference in a child's holiday season.

This year, I am aiming to create simple, joyful holiday stockings for the Gurnee Police Department's wonderful "Shop with a Cop" program, which provides a positive holiday experience for underprivileged children in Gurnee.

• The Need: To ensure every child involved receives an extra token of holiday cheer after their special shopping trip.
• The Impact: The stocking and treats are shared with the child at the conclusion of their time shopping with a police officer.
• Recipients: Estimated 75–100 Children.

Commitment and Delivery Deadlines
I understand schedules are tight, but your prompt response is critical to ensure every resident and child is covered. The deadline is delivery to my home by this Thursday, 12.4.25 (so sorry - I just got clarification of this).

Pls reach out to me on this platform or directly to my email - Linda@scoliosisandstrong.com - I'll then share my home address.

Pls spread the word.

Many thanks for considering and God bless you all.

Peace, love & dogs,

07/23/2025

Revolutionize your life with Pilates!

It will redefine how you exercise, improve your posture and alignment, enhance your mobility and develop a powerful core - the foundation of all movement.

Curious to find out more? Contact me - linda@scoliosisandstrong.com

07/23/2025

Need the expertise for your specific fitness need?

Currently I hold Certifications in:
~ Polestar Pilates International
~ Yoga for Back Care & Scoliosis Specialist utilizing ScolioYoga & ScolioPilates
~ Certified Yoga Therapist/C-IAYT, YACEP, E-RYT 500
~ CPR & AED Adult & Child AHA Certified
~ ScolioPilates Level 2

Additionally, I will be gaining this Neurological Certification

06/23/2025

How do you learn to breath into the concave lung?

Breathing into the concave lung will improve lung function into this lung that has less lung capacity.

The targeted inhalation is key to direct your breath specifically into the concave side. Imagine inflating a balloon in that specific area of your back or side that feels “collapsed”.

This involves using your breath to create an internal abdominal pressure that also helps to detonate the ribs and spine.

During exhalation, the goal is to maintain the expansion you achieved on the concave side, resisting the natural tendency for it to collapse back inward. This in turn helps to build endurance in the corrected posture and lung that isn’t as strong.

06/16/2025

Therapeutic Movement & Techniques for Scoliosis, Osteoporosis & Back Care

Saturday, June 28 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
Mind Body Studio @
Advocate Condell Centre Club
200 W. Golf Rd., Libertyville, IL 60048

An Engaging, Educational and Empowering Workshop hosted by Linda Benton

What You Will Learn
• Understanding of spinal anatomy and posture
• Practical tools and knowledge for safe movement patterns
• Improve spinal health and overall wellbeing
• Dos and don’ts specific to scoliosis, osteoporosis and back care
• Techniques for managing and supporting these conditions

What You Will Experience
• Individual assessment and personalized posture report
• Short, informative presentation
• Therapeutic movements and technique practices
• Expert tips and strategies (bring paper and pen!)
• Relaxation session (Shivasan)
• Q&A for personalized guidance

Members: $99 | Non-members: $115
Register at the front desk or 847.990.5750.

Must be able to get up and down off the floor.

questions - pls contact me - linda@scoliosisandstrong.com

06/06/2025

Are aware that the concave side lung will breathe less? and it's imperative to address that within your management of scoliosis?

The Role of 360° Breath Work and Strengthening

The practice of 360° breath work directly addresses this issue by training individuals to consciously direct their breath into all areas of the torso—front, back, and both sides. The goal is to move beyond shallow "chest breathing" or simple "belly breathing" and achieve a more uniform expansion of the entire rib cage, much like an expanding cylinder or an opening umbrella.

For the concave side, 360° breath work serves several critical functions:
~ Increased Awareness and Neuromuscular Re-education
~ Mobilization and Expansion
~ Improved Diaphragmatic Function

When combined with strengthening exercises, the benefits are amplified.

These are just some of the things we do together to teach you how to manage your scoliosis in our 1:1 customized sessions.

linda@scoliosisandstrong.com

05/21/2025

In case your wondering, my teaching schedule.....

I have a home studio in Gurnee that I provide 1:1 customized instruction. My home studio has a Pilates reformer, chair, ladder barrel, spine corrector and Fuse Ladder.

I also teach group classes:
Monday's 10 a.m. Reformer for Back Care/Osteo/Scoliosis/Centre Club Libertyville aka CL
4:15 p.m. Reformer/CL
5:30 p.m. Reformer/CL
6:30 p.m. Reformer/CL

Tuesday 9:30 a.m. Resistance Pilates/Centre Club Gurnee aka CG
10:30 a.m. Restorative Yoga/CG

Thursday 8:30 a.m. Reformer/CL
4:30 p.m. Resistance Pilates/CG

Sat., 8:30 a.m. Resistance Pilates/CL
9:35 a.m. Restorative Yoga/CL

I will be gaining a Buff Bone Certification in the Fall '25 which is a osteoporosis certification - I currently have multiple advanced coursework in osteoporosis - supporting all you baby boomers like me :)

I will be adding more group classes as requests demand.

Scoliosis Certified, Advanced course work in Osteoporosis/Osteopenia, Polestar Pilates Certified, C-IAYT - Certified Yoga Therapist, YACEP, E-RYT 500

www.scoliosisandstrong
linda@scoliosisandstrong.com

05/20/2025

Bridge pose unlocks greater mobility in the spine and hips. This simple yet powerful exercise also increases strength in the hips, low back and hamstring.

Another added bonus is it improves hip extension/extension of the psoas muscle which is so deeply affected in mobility when you have scoliosis.

The version demonstrated is safe for both osteoporosis and scoliosis.

Note: do not tuck the pelvis or round the spine to come up or down - contraindicative for both osteoporosis and scoliosis. Bring the pelvis up and down with both side bodies long.

04/15/2025

I'm super thrilled to announce I've earned my Polestar Pilates Certification which is a Pilates PT track based.
The 13 month coursework included all apparatuses -
~ mat
~ reformer
~ ladder barrel
~ Pilates chair
~ trap table

The Polestar Certification along with my other certifications in scoliosis/back care, C-IAYT and advanced coursework in osteoporosis, further enhances my expertise as a therapeutic movement specialist supporting your spinal health. All these certifications compliment one to each other and give me a far deeper depth of spinal health, wellness and fitness.

I offer customized 1:1 sessions
www.scoliosisandstrong.com
linda@scoliosisandstrong.com

Therapeutic Movements & Techniques utilizing Pilates & Yoga for Scoliosis Improve Strength, Get Aligned, Halt Curve Progression, Increase Lung Capacity, Alleviate Pain and get SCOLIOSIS STRONG for life! Scoliosis Certified Movement & Posture SpecialistScolioPilates thru Module 2 CompletionCertified....

04/08/2025

Nancy Meyers of Balance Body has put out a great article on

"Bunions and Their Impact on Gait"

As a therapeutic movement specialist utilizing Pilates, because it can altered knee kinematics, hip dysfunction, and even lumbopelvic instability, this must be addressed.

Bone loss is a natural aging process. This instability from a bunion will cause rigidity. Altering the knee, hip, lumbopelvic kinematics, could very much aid in the progression to scoliosis.


The foot is a complex structure responsible for both load absorption and propulsion. The bones in the foot must be able to spread to load the spring to propulse forward. The presence of a bunion alters the structural integrity and functional biomechanics of the foot.

The big toe or “first ray” plays a pivotal role in terminal stance and pre-swing phases of gait, where it contributes to propulsion via the windlass mechanism. In individuals with bunions, lateral deviation of the hallux reduces its capacity for dorsiflexion, thereby limiting its engagement in the push-off phase. This functional impairment leads to compensatory loading strategies and inefficiencies in forward propulsion. To mitigate discomfort, individuals with bunions often exhibit altered gait patterns.

Lateral Foot Loading: Increased reliance on the lateral metatarsals and peroneal musculature to offload the first ray, leading to excessive strain on the lesser metatarsals and potential overuse injuries such as metatarsalgia.

Reduced Push-Off Force: Inhibited hallux dorsiflexion diminishes plantarflexion force at terminal stance, compromising step length and gait efficiency.

Proximal Compensation: To accommodate altered foot mechanics, compensatory mechanisms may develop proximally, manifesting as altered knee kinematics, hip dysfunction, and even lumbopelvic instability.

Relieve discomfort and improve gait with foot exercises for bunions. Strengthen foot muscles, increase mobility, and support joint health.