My second class choice was something completely different to my usual weightlifting and circuits. I headed to London's hot spot gym, The Gym Box in Covent Garden; which had it's own TV series on Channel 4 a few years back. The Gym Box is full of the weird and the wonderful; from pole dancing classes, to caveman workouts, to bartending ( no, not cocktail making classes...), to bunny bootcamp, drop the pom (a cheesy cheerleading routine inspired workout) and bitch boxing. I had to take a cheeky look at the gym, which could easily be mistaken as a nightclub. It was full of every equipment imaginable, even a full size boxing ring.
However, I was their for something a little more subtle; Tempo Pilates. Tempo Pilates is reformer Pilates to music. Since becoming an avid weightlifter, although I am stronger and fitter now, my range of movements are limited to pushing and pulling. Don't get me wrong, weightlifting has tons of benefits, however, with little stretching it can shorten and tighten your muscles resulting in restricted mobility. More significantly, if done with poor form, or no consideration of weak spots, problem areas can be exacerbated. i.e if you have a curved spin- doing heavy back squats is probably not the best idea.
I have wanted to try Reformer Pilates for a while now; the machines are curious looking and have you seen the bodies of Pilates aficionados? They are long, lean and graceful.
A Reformer Pilates carriage may look like some kind of torture apparatus but when used correctly it can perform wonders. The bench slides back and fourth on the frame and springs can be added/removed to change up the resistance. All kinds of movements are done using the bench to promote length, strength, flexibility and balance. Besides boasting all these benefits it improves postures and mobility.
There was only a few of us in the class. The teacher explained how to use the equipment and then hit on smooth, cool tunes. We performed a series of kicks, rotations and lengthening exercises withe every limb. There was a heavy focus on posture, good form, control and lots of core. The teacher kept checking on me after finding out a I was newbie and made sure I kept up with the others. By the end of the class I was surprisingly hot and my hair, well... that's another story. The class was great and I felt relaxed and loose after finishing though I still felt i worked hard. It is something I would love to incorporate regularly into my routine as I truly believe it would have significant impact on my posture and flexibility strength.
