Consider me REFORMED!!!!

Consider me REFORMED!!!!

      If you know me, you know I am a creature of habit.  I love yoga and dancing. In the summers, I hike around my camp all day.  Those are the things that I have committed to to get my blood flowing. So its definitely weird that I took the time to try something new.  I really put it if off because I was scared. I had no history or experience with it so I feared it. It does not help that the room you do it in looks like the torture chamber from The Princess Bride.  All these crazy wooden beds with springs. Everytime I passed it I would just imagine Prince Humperdinck running out with a sword. If you frequent gyms, then you would know that I am talking about Pilates.  Today, I tried Pilates using the Reformer machine and other very interesting contraptions in that room.  

 

   I have to tell you that I am completely shocked at how cool it was.  I had a personal session with Dana who is super sweet, by the way.  She’s a mom and completely down to earth. She deeply believes in Pilates and how it is one of the more superior workouts out there.  We started on the Reformer machine which is the crazy wooden bed. She had me do some yoga-type moves on it. If you read my blogs, you know I love yoga and think that I am pretty good at it for being a big girl.  Well, Pilates set me straight! As much as I love Down Dog, it is WAY harder to do it on a moving machine that pits you against your own weight.  

    What I really loved about the Pilates workout was that I hit that level of intensity within the first ten minutes that really takes forty minutes for my body to feel in my typical basic yoga classes.  Something that is consistent with yoga and Pilates is the idea that it is all about protecting your joints. Being a 36 year old mom who enjoys way too much pizza and ice cream, my knees have taken a beating.  I can not go to dance classes like I used to without fear of hurting myself. I can not do jumping squats and other trainer-ish exercises that will quickly make a positive impact because it too quickly impacts my joints.  Using the Reformer machine, I got to do these awesome horizontal jumping squats that worked all the core ab and leg muscles the vertical squats work, but I did not have any pressure or tension on my knees. It was amazing.  

     By doing this Pilates workout, I, also, realized that I give up too easily during my yoga classes.  When we are doing leg work and the instructor wants us to stretch our legs at a 45 degree angle, I am the queen at stopping at 75 degrees and waiting there until everyone finishes.  With Pilates, you use a machine to keep you stable and challenge you to prove to yourself that you can do it. It also helps that Pilates has animal names for their moves too. My nickname is Mermaid so I was so excited to get to do the Mermaid stretch at the end of the workout.  It was such a cool experience. One that I plan to do again and again. Joseph Pilates wrote that  “In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see a difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.” Let’s see if I can prove him right.  Come take a Pilates Reformer class with me and find that whole new body.

To redeem your complimentary session, email Kelly Nicastro today at knicastro@chhrc.com! But hurry! Spots are filling up quickly!