Pilates, it’s just fun

When you think back to the first time you experienced Pilates, what was it that hooked you?

Was it the fact that you went to your first class with a friend? Was it the community vibe you could feel inside the studio walls? Was it the instructor? Or dare I say it, was it the amazing burn you didn’t think you’d be able to find in a Pilates class?

For me, my first session was daunting, I had dabbled with Pilates from time to time, through dance classes, and then some DVD’s purchased in the middle of the night while I was working night shift at the TV station. I had never been into a Pilates studio, and just saying walking in and seeing the equipment - What the hell had I gotten myself into?

But you know what happened next? My friend and I found some mats next to each other and got settled in, still not knowing what to really expect we just went with the flow. By the end of the 45 min Matwork, my mind and body felt at ease, they felt like they had worked and that they were connected on a deeper level then I had experienced with any other type of exercise.

At the end of that session, I did what we all do - bought a 10 pack. And then another, and another. One class a week turned to two, which turned to 5 very quickly, because once I got a taste of the equipment there was no going back.

Pilates, it’s fun, it doesn’t have to be all serious and stiff. I’m a huge believer in making your exercise fun - otherwise you’ll never stick with it. And it’s not just the order of exercises or your instructors style of teaching and programming that make it fun, it’s the comrade you find when you are with a group of likeminded people, especially when you’re all there to improve yourselves and make your life generally better. And that’s what Pilates does, it makes you get through life with ease. Once you’re connected body and mind and you’re in tune with yourself amazing things can happen.

Through Pilates I haven’t just found a fun way to exercise, I’ve found something I can and need to do for life, all while having fun - and getting a little nerdy.

So what was it that hooked you?