Let the torture begin. (grin)

Actually, I didn't take a class because we don't have any classes available anywhere in this county except a senior citizens water aerobics class at the community pool about 15 miles away. I bought a couple of videos and used them religiously for several months. I still use them, but not as intensively now because I'm getting exercise outdoors.

I also have one of those big fitness balls and I know why those burn calories. It's because I keep falling off and have to get up. Up and down, it burns calories, LOL.

Annie

Good for you Gina! I have a pilates reformer home machine, and it provides a really great workout -- you feel it all over, but don't feel injured! I always liked the reformer workouts much better than the mat ones... Let us know how it goes!

Emily

Yes good for you Gina! I'm really enjoying my twice weekly reformer classes in a group of 4 and in a few days we'll be just three in the class as people start to take holidays. We're lucky to have a very well trained instructor who has been teaching physio training for years and she keeps a close eye and hand on our every movement. I'm sure you'll love it, especially when you know you can move up one step at a time and at your own pace, according to your fitness level.

It's really an enjoyable workout! Keep us informed of your impressions.

SharonCb

I'm totally hooked on Pilates. Yeah, we definitely want to know how you like it!

How do you guys do pilates without feeling injured? I ended up on Rx strength Naproxin and muscle relaxers due to neck strain. I could hardly drive because my neck hurt so much from having to lift it up to do the pilates exercises. It got to where I couldn't even turn my head because of the pain. Pilates is not for me.

Hows that for encouragement, Gina? lol. Really, I hope you have fun and get the results you want. It looks like it really works for a lot of people.

Sally

Sally I'm sorry to hear you were hurting afterwards.
Our instructor checks us after every move...."all okay?....does that hurt? .....any pain?" etc ...and she tells us to stop the minute something hurts. Since everyone has different capabilities, or perhaps has had a previous injury, she makes sure we keep our movements pain free. Some folks have had a broken hip, leg or sports injury and can't do all exercises at the same level, so she takes them down to below the pain level and makes them work at that point until they build up strength. You shouldn't hurt when doing these exercises.
If so then you are driving yourself too far or for too long.

Some exercises we do only for a few seconds and then pause....and afterwards we're asked if everyone is okay with that before we continue. We stop before there is any ache or pain because as Maria (instructor) says, you may not feel an ache right now but tomorrow you could feel it, so we are constantly changing the movements and doing each one in short spurts with pauses in between.

I'm quit pleased as I can do things I didn't think possible....lying down, raising head while pulling on hand stirrups with both legs bent and raised in the air.....head down...up...down... while hands paddle and pull the stirrups. I am puffing ...LOL...but can do it for a short time and can raise my head progressively higher. But I see progress there each week and hope to soon be able to get the shoulders up along with my head and neck. I have a good feeling that this is the way is it supposed to happen.

So Gina have you had your first session yet?

SharonCb

Sunday morning. The regular classes will be during the week, but they start newbies off with a private session. I can't wait.

Getting my bag of popcorn to watch.

You'll do great!

Lucky duck! I felt 2 inches taller when I was doing pilates. It truly elongates your muscles. Can't say I loved it, though - LOL. The reformer sounds like the way to go! Can't hurt the ping pong game!

Jessica, you're next!

These are probably the most advanced exercises, but I'd be ecstatic to have a body like this.>

Gina yeah....we haven't got to all that spready-leg stuff yet!!!! LOL.
But we do the first exercises seen in the video and other things with the stirrups which are mounted on a high bar at the end of the reformer not seen in that video.

SharonCb

Hey, how was Pilates, Gina?

I LOVED it! My personal trainer, Barbara, started me on the big bench (I forget what it's called) for mat exercises and a little education about my core. She placed warmed cushions under my butt and one on top of my chest and a small ball between my bent knees. I learned all kinds of stuff - practiced isolating different areas in my lower abdomen and pelvis and moving those areas, being aware not to move my chest or legs. Then we did some curls, again working from the lower ab area and not pulling up with your shoulders. Then some "hinges" and leg stuff.

Then we moved to a Reformer and did some stretches there. Then the hour was over - so fast! I wanted more!

I signed up for 3 more private lessons with Barbara, then I'll do group classes. Next is Tuesday evening. I'll see if I'm allowed to take pix too.

Oh good Gina! We were also doing some of those mini pelvic moves this morning....slight tilts forward and back without moving anything else and while reaching up onto a springbar....not so easy as it sounds. And holding a small ball between the knees on the reformer.
Gee we didn't ever get warmed cushions though LOL!
Looking forward to hearing more from your next visit.

SharonCb

Holy cow! I just got home from my 2nd lesson and I am stoked. Barbara threw lots of stuff at me today. I got on the Reformer and did this and did that and did the other - I got a full body workout.

AND... I didn't know the dadgum Reformer had weights! I thought you were just pulling and pushing your own body weight, doh!

I am just giddy from feeling so good. Next class is a group class on Thursday. Now I gotta rustle up some dinner, see ya!

I loved reading about the warmed cushions. Clearly, my studio isn't as upscale as yours. Your body will really change, just you watch. You'll definitely notice a difference in about a month.

Thats great Gina -- I'm so glad you had a good experience, and I totally agree with dlundin that you'll see a difference in your body within a month! So nice that you found an exercise that really made the time fly!

Emily

LOL, I think the warmed cushions were to illustrate to me where things were. Like "push 6 o'clock towards the heat", etc. I didn't get them the 2nd visit, as we mainly did the Reformer.

I was a little sore yesterday - my abs, chest muscles and obliques, hoo-boy I felt it. But I did a light ping pong practice after work and the soreness went away. Probably from warming up and circulation from further exercise. My first group class tonight with a different instructor.

I'm very excited by this and I'm happy to find another enjoyable outlet for my physical fitness "lifestyle."

Thanks Sharon, Diana and Emily for your thoughts on this. And for everyone else - I thoroughly recommend Pilates (and table tennis too). And I am now a full-on fitness junkie.

The next thing I'd like to try in the future is ballroom dance, especially the latin dances. But I don't have time for that now!

Question for you experienced ones: how often do you feel the burn? Do your muscles get sore?

I only got sore after the first private reformer session. The group class seemed too easy. Last night's private lesson seemed harder but I am not sore today. Is it no pain, no gain all the time? I want to do the most I can.

Our instructor makes sure we stop as soon as we feel any pain, saying we should work just below pain level. I don't feel any muscle soreness afterwards but then we are working at a fairly gentle pace, (my classmates are not young) gradually increasing the difficulty of the exercises and the heaviness of the springs on the reformer. We work with a stronger resistance of the springs when pushing with our legs and reduced resistance when we pull our weight with our arms, with legs up in the air.

My friend Anne tried just one session last year but she couldn't take it as she had some ankle weakness and then had sore legs for a few days afterwards.

The bottom line, as we are told, is that there shouldn't be pain in an exercise and rather than work harder at a pain producing level we should do it in a gentler way but increase the time we spend on it. I have to be careful with my shoulders as I've had rotor cuff tendonitis in both of them after lifting heavy things in the garden years ago. They're okay now as long as I don't try to swing my arms too far backward, so the instructor always stops me short when I get going making circles with the arm pulleys.

I think classes will usually be made easier than one on one sessions because of the different levels of fitness of group members.

Keep telling us about your progress Gina. I'm really interested to hear how you're getting on!

SharonCb

You know, if I do Pilates only twice a week, I might feel it after the Wednesday class but not after the Friday class. But usually I only feel it in my abs and really not that much. It's not like lifting weights so you probably shouldn't be expecting any kind of intense muscle pain. I've been doing the same routine for nearly a year and I always find it difficult. I do need to mix it up some and may try another class but I love the instructor.

I think Pilates will really change your body if you do it consistently a couple of times a week. On the other hand, I consider it to be only one crayon in the box. I've just started adding weight lifting back in. I also do spinning, biking, running and kettlebells. Kettlebells, to me, is pretty darn hard and yet I do it for less time and lighter weights than you might expect and I'm always, always painfully sore after. Oh, I started doing boot camp once a week and that's by far the hardest yet I'm rarely sore after. Just feel a slight soreness from running so fast on the treadmills.