I am 45 years old. I had been athletic and in great shape my whole life, even after the birth of my children. I used to be a martial artist. I was extremely flexible (kicks well above my head, splits, etc.). Then, a few years ago a small fall down my basement stairs changed everything. I dislocated my sacral joint and pelvis, broke my tailbone and pulled every muscle in my pelvic floor. 4 surgeries later, I am 30 pounds heavier, completely out of shape and barely able to touch my toes. My balance is off because my pelvis tilts on the right side. Martial arts is out of the question because kicks cause my pelvis to shift even more.

I have started doing some stretch/yoga DVD's on my own and Pop Pilates. I understand body mechanics and proper positioning from years of exercise. The main issue I am having is that I have developed arthritis and some of the positions are uncomfortable only because of the pressure on the joint. For instance, laying on my side is very painful on my hip joint (not the muscles but the bone) or anything on my knees (again because of the arthritis buildup on the knees where the knee touches the floor). I use towels which helps but is there anything else out there that I can use to cushion the joints better when I exercise? Any other suggestions you can give for someone like me would be great!