Am I Toned Yet???

Last night, after two years, I returned to Pilates training with a new instructor and new understanding of my body. My new instructor is very knowledgeable and assuring. She made me feel at ease while reacquainting myself with the intimidating machines. She has three of them: The Reformer, The Cadillac, and The Chair (which is by far, the scariest!) As I was working out on these machines I could feel my muscles burning and stretching. By the end of the workout I felt taller – I’m sure it was just my imagination.

Once we began our workout the memories of my previous Pilates training came flooding back. Previously, my sessions were on the Reformer with four coworkers. I was flustered by their experience and abilities on the machine. In the first few sessions I felt self conscious and tried to prove that I too can bring my leg strait up in the air with two blue springs and one red. But I quickly became familiar with the ballerina type movements and everything started to feel natural. I felt strong and acrobatic. My balance and flexibility greatly improved. My favorite thing about Pilates isn’t the elongating of my muscles or the strengthening of my core (but I do LOVE those things) it is being able to have a challenging 60 minute workout without feeling weak and exhausted after. After I complete a Pilates workout I feel longer, more flexible and much stronger. I feel like I could run a mile or lay out by the pool. Even today, while my muscles are sore it doesn’t feel like I beat them.

Here are three things I learned at my session:

• My scoliosis, while minuscule, still has affected my knees and the muscles around my hips and shoulders.

• A woman’s Transversus Abdominus, the deepest abdominal muscle layer, is designed to stretch and cause a “pooch” for baring children. This stretching “feature” in the muscle makes it much more difficult for women to loose the “pooch” after having a child or just simply eating too much. This is one of the reasons why it is much easier for a man to have a flat lower abdomen.

• Slouching and jutting out my chin not only strains the muscles around my neck but it makes me look like a monkey.

It is official, I am obsessed again.