Pie & Lattes - What happened in Class 2

Class # 2. Different instructor, different routine.
More difficult!

This lady knows her stuff. She explains the breathing and the different techniques really well. but she is a machine. Sunday instructor likes to work the abs. Thursday instructor favours the legs, but her ab workouts are more intense.

Take the Egg* for example. You tuck your knees up against your chest and hold them close with your arms. You are precariously balancing on your butt... then you fall down like a heavy boulder gently roll back onto the mat and remaining in the tightly curled position - using your core muscles -  roll yourself back up into the original position. Supposedly.

I fell down and rocked back and forth on the floor like an egg that has fallen over. The more I tried to get back up, the more  just sputtered and rolled. I even said out loud "I look like a boiled egg!"

I was sore for 4 days after this session!

*Not the real exercise name, but it suits my purposes

I am happy to report that I am now able to do this exercise... barely!

Pilates: Not for persons with weak muscles

This is what you need to know before you attend your first Pilates class:

1. Wear tight fitting tops - otherwise they will hike up when you are bent down touching the ground
2. Tie your hair in a low ponytail as you spend some time lying on your back and the higher pony is very uncomfortable
3. Make sure your hair is tightly pinned back out of your face
4. Take a bigger towel to put on your mat so that you don't slip when balancing on hands and toes
5. Make sure your feet are pretty - you take your shoes and socks off

What to expect:

The class started with lots of stretching and warming up. Your heart rate increases and you can feel the muscles working, but it's not impossible.

Until...

The stomach section. If you can imagine a blotchy red, panting, quivering mass of shaky jelly with bits of hair sticking out all over the place and beads of sweat popped out on her forehead - you will have a pretty accurate image of me.

I hope you have a better core strength than I did when I first started!

I am convinced that The Roll Up is a method of torture.

From a lying down position, you "gently roll your upper body up into a sitting position - using only your stomach muscles - while keeping your legs stretched straight out in front of you, flat on the ground" What?

I tried twice, spluttered and ended up my my feet pointing at the sky; so I lay there and watched the others doing exactly what he said: Gently rolling up

If I have to take a step back from the jealousy of watching them do it, I must admit that it was actually beautiful. Their movement was so fluid and graceful. The strength it must have taken to make it look so easy made me envious. And determined to one day be able to do that. No matter how long it takes me.

Then we had to do the planking. Goodness.

And the biggest fail funniest exercise was The Roll Over
We used to do this as kids and I was always the one to get there first. Little did I know how hard it would be years later when I was unfit!
More graceful moves from my classmates while my backside refused to lift off the mat. I was mortified! I was the only one in the class who couldn't do it. No matter how hard I tried.
I am now able to do it - so there is hope!

An hour later you are stretching it all out and then it's finished.

I left there feeling full of energy. Until about 45 minutes later. Then I had to lie down on the couch and nap.

What you should do before attending your first class:
I don't think the gyms have an actual beginners class. I would recommend doing some research into breathing and muscle techniques for each of the main Mat exercises. It helps a lot with the exercises.
If I had not read that section about controlling breathing I don't think I would have been able to complete all the reps of some exercises.

The next day:
I was sore all over. I thought it would only be my stomach as I struggled with that the most, but it was also my biceps, triceps, shoulders, stomach, back, butt & thighs.
Proof that it truly is an all body exercise!

Pie & Lattes

Something I wish I had realised in my 20's: Exercise to keep fit. It becomes so much harder to lose that extra bit of weight.
In my 20s if I wanted to drop 2-3kgs, all I had to do was cut out the junk food and the weight would drop off.
Now in my 30s. I have to exercise, eat salad leaves and water and I may be lucky if I drop 1kg.
I don't want to be one of those unhealthy, overweight women with wrinkly skin that has seen the ravages of junk food and a sedentary lifestyle.

What if it is already too late?

For this very reason I have started doing Pilates. I need to get fit. Pilates works all the muscle groups, but most importantly your core.
I have not lost any weight, but I am feeling stronger.
I am not ready to diet and give up on my 6 cups of coffee a day (with brown sugar), but I really need to get my body functioning well, I think Pilates is a step in the right direction.

I have attended a variety of Pilates lessons. 3 different instructors. All different techniques. 1 thing in common:

They hurt like a mother the next day!

I realise now why they tell you Pilates is perfect for sufferers of back pain: Because everything else is so sore, you don't notice that your back is sore!

Joking aside - I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I have given Yoga a try as well, but it really didn't feel as if I had done any exercise.

What do you do to keep fit?