I hate gym. But I’m out of shape, have bad posture and weigh too much with all the extra in my tummy, rear and thighs. So… after Christmas Dave and I agreed to take a Pilates class together at the Borgess Health Center here in Kalamazoo. Our classes ran for 6 weeks.
Dave bought me a Pilates tape, Mari Winsor Beginner’s Pilates, which has a very basic intro, a fairly easy 25 minute beginner’s workout and a second workout that is a bit more advanced. The instructor, Mari Winsor, emphasizes correct form and breathing.
So far I am still on the beginner’s workout but am nearly ready to move on to the next step. I do the work out every other day with the occasional lapse. Realistically I do the exercises three times a week.
What I like about this is I can see and feel the difference in my body and posture. I still have a blob around my middle and I have not lost weight. But I am more aware of standing straight, of walking with correct posture, and my tummy muscles are stronger. Those of us who are ladies of a certain age know what it is like to sneeze and have to run to the bathroom and these exercises have even helped with that.
The basic workout has four exercises that are a bit more difficult.
- Hold your head and shoulders up while you push your arms and legs straight out
- Lying on your back and touching one elbow to the opposite knee
- Single leg teaser
- Superman, where you lie on your stomach and lift up your legs and arms.
When I started all of these were challenging, very hard for me. Now the teasers are easy and I can lift up my head and shoulders without much problem. I still find the strange twist up elbow-to-knee exercise and Superman challenging. I figure I’ll move to the next routine in the next week or two.
Leave a Reply