PUT YOURK BACK INTO IT
Give reformer Pilates a go. It might only take one class to get you hooked, says Lucy Slight
Hi, my name is Lucy and mat Pilates just ain’t my jam. I tried it a few times, but there were too many “one-hundreds” and leg circles and my hips hurt from the hard floor. Enough said. So about 18 months ago, when my new chiropractor diagnosed me with scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) and recommended I substitute my lack of exercise for a few Pilates sessions per week, I was less than enthused. He then suggested reformer Pilates, which seemed very
‘LA’ (tick) and was, as Google explained, a favourite of supermodels the world over (double tick). After three months of putting it off, I booked a beginner’s session.
There I was, Saturday morning, 9am, Lycra-clad and ready to sweat but without a clue what to do. The machine is intimidating, with springs and ropes, bars and an adjustable headrest, not to mention the ball, ring and various weights lurking beneath, but with only 10 machines in the class, I knew my instructor would be keeping a close eye on her newbie. By 9.45am, I was hooked. My five-class beginner pass turned into a 10-class-per-month pass, I switched from beginner to intermediate within six months and I, for the first time, saw my thighs tighten and my love handles shrink.
Since beginning Pilates, I’ve noticed reformer studios popping up all over Auckland, and despite the lofty perclass prices (around $35), you often have to book days in advance to secure your spot. Pilates has been around since 1923 (when Joseph Pilates opened his first studio in New York), so why is it only just starting to catch on in New Zealand? As a former groupfitness devotee who got sick of jostling and sweating with hundreds of people at a huge city gym, I don’t think I’m alone in wanting a more one-on-one exercise experience in a space that’s clean and inviting. Plus, it’s an exercise that actually works, says Kate Benefield, director and master trainer at Kcore Pilates in Auckland. “Once people try it, they see the results and realise how much it can benefit their lives.” And she’s not just talking about young women — Kate’s clients range from people as young as 17 right through to those in their 70s, men included.
“A lot of men think that it’s only for women, but the core strengthening of the micro muscles is hugely beneficial to men as they often only work their major muscle groups, which can easily end up in injury or an imbalanced body,” she explains. “Pilates can benefit people with a sedentary lifestyle that have posture and strength issues right through to professional athletes that need to fine-tune their physique.”
Kate says the key difference between mat and reformer Pilates is that working with the machine gives you that extra edge. “We can add resistance onto your workout and continually challenge your body,” she says. For me, it’s the fact that for the first time ever, I actually feel graceful, elongated and that my body is fully supported when working out — that the machine is an extension of myself. I work muscles I didn’t even know I had, over and over again until it burns like a hot poker — to the point where I can’t possibly imagine doing one more rep. But it seems that burn, oh boy, is she addictive.