Pilates is the way to an instagram booty
Not that it’s the most important thing, butt, we all know that a nice rear is in high demand these days. Have you ever heard of the “Pilates butt”? Pilates lovers swear it’s a result of regular, devoted practice. Think Pippa Middleton, not Nicki Minaj. It’s a toned, round booty that’s complemented by equally toned abdomen and thighs. I haven’t done nearly enough Pilates to have it, but if my first session at the new Move With Options in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell was any indication, I might just develop the booty of my dreams if I go every week.
Of course, my main concern will always be my bad back. I tell my instructor about this and he immediately puts me to work — so many squats; squats until I had a metallic taste in my mouth. Doing yoga almost daily, I thought I was pretty fit. Surprise, surprise! Pilates is hard, but it sure is worth it.
One of the things that most people find intimidating about Pilates is the Pilates Reformer. If it looks like an antiquated, hospital bed-like contraption, that’s because it is. When Joseph Pilates, the inventor of Pilates, was working as a nurse during the outbreak of World War I, he experimented by attaching springs to hospital beds so bedridden patients could still exercise. Of course, the reformer we know now is much more attractive — the ones at Move With Options Rockwell are upholstered in soft caramel leather, and are called “classical reformers,” which can accommodate taller individuals, such as athletes. Everyone’s a little wobbly on it at first, but it’s an easy device to get to know and a very effective one, too. Move With Options Rockwell is one of the few studios that offer classical Pilates.
At the launch, Options Studio founder and master trainer for the System Smart Movement Ole Eugenio shared that, while he started his career with contemporary Pilates, he revisited his classical roots in 2010. “I wanted to seek out and understand the full system, about the art of control or Contrology, which is the orignal name for Pilates,” he said, adding that classical Pilates was about the body and mindful movements, and the refomer is just an “assist.”
He talked us through a short, feelgood routine that was simple yet challenging, and reintroduced us to our bodies.
If there is one thing you never unlearn even after months of going without Pilates, it’s the awareness of your own body and how your movements (or lack thereof) contribute to your overall wellness. Classical Pilates is a healing, invigorating and rehabilitating exercise, with principles that stay with you long after your session.
Krishna Yalong-Penson, owner and managing partner of Move With Options, says, “Pilates is for everyone! At MWO, we have women looking to tone, lengthen and look leaner, with a stronger core. We offer prenatal exercises, which we recently found, helps women conceive. We offer gentle exercises for balance and coordination for more mature clients or anyone with injuries or special conditions. Even men, atheletes go to us for a stronger core and back.”
So it’s not just a butt workout, it’s a holistic practice that trains the body to function better. I have Pilates to thank for recovering from a back injury, and it continues to give me relief till now whenever I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, with my spine somehow out of place.