Insanity report.
Feb. 14th, 2003 08:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaI woke up at 5:45 this morning for a 6:15 Pilates class.
I'm not a morning person. I'm really not a morning person. I'm usually up until around 1am, and then I reluctantly drag myself out of bed at 7:15 and wake up very, very slowly via a hot shower, a cup of tea, and the Internet. I'm lucky if I'm alert by the time I'm facing my first client. Not a morning person, okay?
Last night I went to sleep by 11 so that I'd have a fighting chance of making it to the class. At one, I jolted awake: I have to get up! I looked at the clock and fell back asleep, but it was pretty much like that all night. Somehow I'd imprinted too strongly on the fact that I had to get up early, and I kept jerking awake to check the time. Ironically, when the alarm actually rang at 5:45, I lay in bed for several minutes trying to decide if I really wanted to get up. (Answer: no, but I did it anyway.)
Here's the insane part: I think I'm going to go again next week.
I really liked the instructor. She's a physical therapist by training, and teaches a form of Pilates that's been slightly modified for use in rehab settings. As she taught each exercise, she offered us alternatives: "If you have back problems, just do [this]. If this is too hard for you, go back to doing [previous]. If you want a little more challenge, try [modification]." I really liked that she didn't assume that everyone should be on the same level.
This is the first exercise class I've ever taken. All my exercise to date has been individually paced - even when I've exercised with someone else (hiking with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wcg, working with my personal trainer), it's been geared to my specific ability level. I had no idea whether I'd be able to keep up with a class, but I surprised myself by doing very well. I mean, I don't think I did all the exercises perfectly - there's a lot to keep track of in Pilates, and having the right form will take practice - but I didn't ever have to drop out and rest, and I did everything but one brief exercise that involved something orthopedically forbidden. My strength training has obviously made a dramatic difference in my abilities - there's no way I could have done this class when I first started exercising last summer.
Pilates feels very right for me. It's focused on strength, flexibility, balance, muscle control, posture - all things that I want to improve. I can tell that it will teach me to be more mindful of my body, how it's positioned and how it moves. There's no bouncing or impact or sudden movements that might strain my hip. Today's class made me work hard, but it didn't exhaust me or push me to pain or focus my attention on my limitations. It felt good. Really good.
I'm not a morning person. I'm really not a morning person. I'm usually up until around 1am, and then I reluctantly drag myself out of bed at 7:15 and wake up very, very slowly via a hot shower, a cup of tea, and the Internet. I'm lucky if I'm alert by the time I'm facing my first client. Not a morning person, okay?
Last night I went to sleep by 11 so that I'd have a fighting chance of making it to the class. At one, I jolted awake: I have to get up! I looked at the clock and fell back asleep, but it was pretty much like that all night. Somehow I'd imprinted too strongly on the fact that I had to get up early, and I kept jerking awake to check the time. Ironically, when the alarm actually rang at 5:45, I lay in bed for several minutes trying to decide if I really wanted to get up. (Answer: no, but I did it anyway.)
Here's the insane part: I think I'm going to go again next week.
I really liked the instructor. She's a physical therapist by training, and teaches a form of Pilates that's been slightly modified for use in rehab settings. As she taught each exercise, she offered us alternatives: "If you have back problems, just do [this]. If this is too hard for you, go back to doing [previous]. If you want a little more challenge, try [modification]." I really liked that she didn't assume that everyone should be on the same level.
This is the first exercise class I've ever taken. All my exercise to date has been individually paced - even when I've exercised with someone else (hiking with
wcg, working with my personal trainer), it's been geared to my specific ability level. I had no idea whether I'd be able to keep up with a class, but I surprised myself by doing very well. I mean, I don't think I did all the exercises perfectly - there's a lot to keep track of in Pilates, and having the right form will take practice - but I didn't ever have to drop out and rest, and I did everything but one brief exercise that involved something orthopedically forbidden. My strength training has obviously made a dramatic difference in my abilities - there's no way I could have done this class when I first started exercising last summer.Pilates feels very right for me. It's focused on strength, flexibility, balance, muscle control, posture - all things that I want to improve. I can tell that it will teach me to be more mindful of my body, how it's positioned and how it moves. There's no bouncing or impact or sudden movements that might strain my hip. Today's class made me work hard, but it didn't exhaust me or push me to pain or focus my attention on my limitations. It felt good. Really good.
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no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 08:12 am (UTC)I'm so very, very glad that you enjoyed your Pilates class. It sounds like the instructor is very good, but I'm also not surprised. That sort of "alternative levels given during a group class" is at the core of Pilates method philosophy.
If you managed to complete the hundred on your first run through, I'm very impressed. I forgave myself for the lack of stamina when I started, because I had just come out of a run of bronchitis, but it was hard!
no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 11:24 am (UTC)Yeah, I figured you would be. How many years has it been since you started urging me to take one? *grin*
If you managed to complete the hundred on your first run through, I'm very impressed. I forgave myself for the lack of stamina when I started, because I had just come out of a run of bronchitis, but it was hard!
I'm tempted to just sit here soaking up credit, but I should probably clarify instead. The instructor said that one of the differences between the Pilates method she was trained in and "classic" Pilates is that we won't be doing specific set routines. So you may be referring to something I didn't have to do.
The hundred
Date: 2003-02-15 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-02-14 11:41 am (UTC)It occurs to me that, since you were traveling all summer, you may not know that I've been exercising several times a week since May, including weight training three times a week since September. I'm in better physical condition than I've ever been in my life.
no subject
Date: 2003-02-15 03:29 pm (UTC)