TRIED & TESTED

I DID MY FIRST YOGA CLASS 16 YEARS AGO and it was love at first Namaste.

I loved the way it improved my strength, flexibility and, most importantly, calmed my mind.

I introduced Pilates into my regimen a few years ago to mix it up, but never really enjoyed it as much as my yoga practice.

Most recently, I decided to give Pilates another chance and attempted a KX Pilates class at the Miami studio on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The brainchild of personal trainer Aaron Smith, KX – which stands for Kaizen experience, a Japanese philosophy that focuses on small and ongoing movements – is a fast-paced, high-intensity 50-minute workout.

Fusing elements of traditional reformer Pilates with a cardio and endurance workout, I figured KX was a way to build my strength and fitness without having to set foot in a traditional gym.

As a busy mum of two boys, a class that is done and dusted in under an hour definitely appealed, plus there was air-conditioning, a pretty studio with filtered water and fresh towels.

After a warm-up utilising a Pilates ball and ring, the class was broken down into different exercises using resistance from the modified reformer beds.

The push-ups and planks were challenging, however I loved the lunges and squats with hand weights and the arm and leg work in the reformer straps.

To be honest, by the end of the class, I’d discovered muscles I didn’t know existed and had worked every inch of my body under the watchful eye of our attentive instructor, Sasha, who was on hand to correct our technique and change our springs when the going got a little, ahem, tough.

I enjoyed the slow, controlled Pilates movements with the dynamic KX twist and could definitely see why a host of celebrities and models, such as Phoebe Combes, swear by the method to stay in shape.

WHAT KX PILATES COST INTRODUCTORY OFFER OF $50 FOR FIVE CLASSES OR $30 FOR A SINGLE CLASS