By Jamie Ducharme, News Staff
For a long time I associated Pilates solely with the bizarre-looking exercises my mother did sprawled on the living room floor. Thanks to those semi-scarring images, I quickly decided I was content with leaving the system to my mother and her Denise Austin tapes.
But after reading magazine interviews with celebrity after celebrity gushing about the wonders of Pilates, I decided to give it a shot at the Marino Center last fall.
I have to admit I wish I discovered the beauty of Pilates sooner. A method focusing on building long, lean lines through core strength, flexibility and breathing exercises, Pilates is a win-win: An instant toning session that still allows a healthy amount of time to lie on a mat in child’s pose.
Pilates, for me, is a perfect way to take a day off from grueling cardio without actually taking a day off from exercising. Unlike yoga, which, no matter how enjoyable it may be, often leaves me feeling more like I took a nap than had a workout, Pilates is a perfect balance between relaxation and challenging exercises.
It certainly isn’t a calorie-torcher, but Pilates is a great way to get a graceful, slender body through moves like planks, leg lifts and roll-ups. While I wouldn’t expect to get too sweaty during a class, there’s a definite chance of waking up sore the next morning.
Most of the Pilates classes I’ve taken target the abs (and honestly, who couldn’t use a little extra core work?), but in ways that keep things fresh and interesting.
The exercise incorporates innovative moves that go far, far beyond the simple crunch, which I’ve never quite felt gets the job done. Some of the exercises feel a bit ridiculous – such as rolling like a ball with “frog legs” – but I can’t deny they work. I’ll definitely be stepping up the number of Pilates classes I take the closer we get to beach season.
It isn’t all about the core, though. Pilates is one of the few classes I’ve taken that targets the inner and outer thighs, hips and arms without the use of complicated weight machines.
Some of the non-core moves, like lying on your side and lifting your top leg up and down, initially don’t seem very difficult, but two minutes in, my hip flexors are always burning and my muscles are really working. And while I’m not sure I’ve seen a visible difference in my arms and legs, I can feel my muscles growing stronger.
The only downside to Pilates is it caters to people with a degree of flexibility I kissed goodbye somewhere around, oh, my 10th birthday. Still, most of the moves are just as effective when they’re modified a bit, and it’s easy to go at my own pace and difficulty level. Despite my lack of flexibility, I’ve never encountered a move I flat-out couldn’t do.
So those looking for a way to tone up (sans juiced-up guys addicted to free weights), slim down and get some much-needed mental respite, put down the $50 per semester to take group fitness classes at the Marino Center, or seek out one of the many Pilates-oriented gyms around Boston, like Boston Body Pilates at 8 Newbury St.
Trust me – your abs and stress level will thank you.
