In The Studio!

Pilates is always humbling. No matter how strong I think I am, or how much more the reservoir of the core strength has increased, each time I do an exercise, I'm reminded of how much work needs to be done. Flexibility plays a part too.

Sometimes, when I can complete a movement nicely, I'm unable to flow it into the next because, muscles are tired and I would have to take a five-second breather to ease the muscles before tensing/using them again. Hahaha. I'm reminded that I'm never as strong as I think, and I could always do with more corrections, and more practice.

It's scary when the pilates instructor is also an athlete. Post lockdown, she has taken to running 22km weekly. WEEKLY. FOR FUN. OMG. And her timing ain't sucky. She literally runs to visit family, or run to join friends for meals. No way I'm doing that. NOT KEEN. Although this means I cannot bluff her when it comes to how tired I am, or how tiring a pilates move is. She's too smart and can see right through me if I try to cut corners.  

A full day at the Pilates studio always means that the body gets a thorough workout! Warmed up the muscles in the morning with a sprint in the pool before heading to the studio. I prefer not to run before a Pilates class because somehow, my calves and hips tend to be seriously tight after a run. A swim eases up all the knots and for me, it coherently flows into Pilates movements after, almost like a soothing massage. Hahaha. 

I tend to gravitate towards the Reformer and the Chair. So I kinda ditched them today. The morning swim oiled the creaky shoulders and arms. In the studio, we warmed up the obliques and abs thoroughly on the Ladder Barrel. Gotta stay injury-free! Then we went to do the fun stuff (strength and inversions) on the Cadillac, and work my lazy triceps. Wooohooo.