fun with pilates

during the summer of '04, the summer before my senior year of college, i started doing a pilates tape about once a day.

my dad had suffered a heart attack the year before, and i had undergone a myriad of blood tests right after, proving that i high cholesterol. my doctor told me that exercising and eating better would lower my cholesterol levels, but i generally ignored his advice during my junior year, which was intellectually and emotionally the most challenging school year of my life.

but with the spring semester over and the summer stretching before me, and only a part-time job and one class to fill my days, i decided to start exercising at home.

i picked up a pilates dvd because i wanted to work on a perennial problem area of mine: my abs. pilates is all about core strengthening, meaning you do a lot of exercises where you "engage" your core by flexing your ab muscles. the pilates i have done is mat-based, meaning you lay on your back on a mat and do most of your exercises from there. many pilates moves require you to lift your legs straight in the air or out at an angle while also lifting your head, neck and shoulders, sit-up style. there is also a lot of arm flapping. it may look ridiculous, but it works.

even after doing the tape for just a few minutes a day i began to feel stronger. my arms and legs became more toned, too, i thought.

that fall i joined a gym, and generally didn't try pilates again, favoring the eliptical machine, free weights and the occasional aerobics class.

the last pilates class i took was about a year ago, not long after i joined the gym in nyc. my friend persuaded me to join her on evening, and although it was probably not an extremely difficult class, i was totally out of shape. my muscles shook and i was sweating through the entire thing. i vowed not to do that again until my abs were stronger.

this week i attempted another pilates class. the class was soothing -- the instructor turned off the overhead flourescent lights and spoke to us in a calming tone -- and i felt capable of doing the core exercises. i was surprised how strong i had become in the past year.

but the class was challenging, and by the end i was struggling and shaking a little. the next day, my muscles ached, but in all the right places--my thighs, triceps and rib cage--places i have trouble focusing on in my daily gym routine.

in the past year i have tried a lot of yoga, which i love. and i promised myself i would do more of that this year, because it is relaxing and will help me to tone my muscles and increase my flexibility and balance. but i really enjoyed pilates, and i want to take this class again, perhaps making it more of a habit.

for months i have struggled with working out. i have had to push myself to go to the gym after work, and i've hardly gone once in past weekends. i have been disappointed in my lack of weight loss and have not noticed any change physically despite logging hours at the gym since last august. but now i am excited about working out again. i am excited to do more pilates and maybe try some other classes, too, just to mix things up. working out is good for me, and not just because it helps me keep my cholesterol low. so anything i can do to motivate myself to make it there on a regular basis is fine by me.