Naomie Harris had to learn to walk again after she developed "severe" scoliosis
The 43-year-old actress was just 11 years old when she was diagnosed with the disease - a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty - but things got so bad in her teens that she required an operation, had to spend a month in hospital and re-learn how to move her legs
13 September 2019
Speaking to Shape magazine, the 'Skyfall' star said: "Around age 11, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. The progression of the disease became severe in my teens, and I needed an operation.
"Doctors inserted a metal rod down my spine. I spent a month in the hospital recovering and had to learn how to walk again. It was really traumatic."
However, although the experience was devastating for her, she learnt not to take her life for granted as there were children in hospital with a far worse outcome.
She explained: "I saw kids in the hospital with scoliosis so advanced that they would never be able to stand properly. I felt really lucky.
"Since then, I have always appreciated the gift of a healthy body. I don't abuse my body. Health is the greatest thing you can have."
Naomie looks after her physique by eating healthily, being active every day, banning the booze, ditching caffeine and meditating regularly to clear her mind.
She said: "After my scoliosis operation, it took me a long time to become active again because I didn't want to do anything that could hurt me in any way. I was very protective of my body. When I started making films that required me to be physically active, I realised that my body was capable of doing a lot more than I thought it was, and that if I exercise I become stronger.
"So now I do Pilates twice a week. It's physically challenging but in a nuanced way. During a session, my instructor might work with me on just one area of my body. I love that it's so detailed and that it focuses the mind too."
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