His desire: Three decades of touring and playing guitar — including 13 Grammy nominations and 30 albums — took quite a toll on Earl Klugh's body. The jazz musician, composer and songwriter suffered from chronic back pain but refused to have surgery.

"I just couldn't see somebody holding my spinal cord in their hand," he said. After reading about Pilates and learning that it could benefit people of various ages and physical conditions, Klugh thought it would be a natural fit for him and a "terrific form of physical therapy."

LOUIE FAVORITE/AJC (ENLARGE)

Klugh, shown getting guidance from Clayton, credits Pilates for getting him into better shape.

LOUIE FAVORITE/AJC (ENLARGE)

LOUIE FAVORITE / Staff Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh gets Pilates instructions from Body Awareness owner Leslie Clayton during a recent workout.

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What he found: He tried Pilates a few times at a studio near his Detroit home and enjoyed working with the trainer and the equipment but did not stick with the program. "Terrible to admit, but a fact," he said. When he moved to Atlanta six years ago, he joined Body Awareness Studio and began a regular schedule of Pilates exercise.

In the beginning, he dreaded exercises such as using the Cadillac equipment, where you hang by your arms and feet and pull the weight of your body five or six times. Until he got out of his comfort zone and grew accustomed to the workout, Klugh thought it felt like acrobatics.

The workout: Because of Klugh's travel schedule, instructor Leslie Clayton designs a variety of workouts to relieve his back pain, improve his posture and keep him flexible. His three one-hour private sessions include lots of stretching and exercises using foam rollers, Pilates balls and spring tension to help with body alignment. Abdominal and upper back work help keep his shoulders and hips flexible. When he's not in the studio, Klugh performs exercises on his own such as wall squats and side-lying arm circles that stretch his chest and keep the spine mobile.

"Earl is very good at doing his homework, and he makes great progress because of it," said Clayton. "The same

attention he puts into his talent is put into his exercise."

The effect: Klugh initially found Pilates very intimidating and slightly frustrating but overcame the challenges one day at a time. Now, he admits that he's pretty good at it and his biggest obstacle is building consistency.

"Not only have I changed physically, but my attitude is much more positive. I have always had a good outlook, but I am now even more positive in my thinking. My energy level has increased dramatically — and while touring — this is really valuable. My diet changed completely over time. I feel all this helps with composing, playing and the demands of travel."

How it's worked for him: Diagnosed with Type II Diabetes about eight years ago, Klugh attributes his regular exercise and improved diet with keeping him healthy. He's dropped from 194 to 168 pounds and says his new healthy lifestyle helps him perform better.

"I am in the best physical shape since I was a teenager," he said. "Basically I want to be in the best shape I can and enjoy each and every day of my life and career."

• Pilates combines several stretching and strengthening exercises in a low-intensity workout.
• Classes are available at most fitness centers and private studios such as Body Awareness, 404-252-7550.

• If you have found an exercise that helps you stay motivated, we'd like to hear about it. In this new feature, we'll run the most inspiring stories every other week alternating with Good Form. E-mail us at betterhealth@ajc.com.