HEALTH & BEAUTY
Originally published on Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Emma Gets Fit Again: Pygmalion Project - Pilates
After Vibrogym, I was a little worried about starting Pilates. Why couldn't they just strap me up to the Vibrogym for like a month and I'll be sorted?
But seemingly, that isn't a good idea. And since Melissa Cosby is now boss, I head down for my first Pilates class. Now, there are a lot of places offering Pilates, but often it's Pilates-lite, a less effective variation of the real thing. Kinesis instructors, on the other hand, are some of the most well educated in London.
I'm booked in for a private lesson with my instructor, Monique, who is possibly the most patient person in existence. She spent a full twenty minutes teaching me how to breathe properly. I may have an IQ of 168, but seemingly, I can't master the art of breathing in to fill your stomach, rather than suck it in.
Pilates, for those who don’t know, is minimum-sweat, maximum-results exercise. It's intense, but somehow extremely relaxing. And effective: it's how ballet dancers get their long lean muscles. Now, I'll never make prima ballerina, but after my first class, it felt like a combination of an intense workout, combined with the best massage ever.
I could get used to this.