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Kelly Gets Fit in the City: Week 3, Pilates had a Bad Rap; Until Now
11/23/2009
by Kelly Young

I have to admit, I’ve never given Pilates a fair chance to make it into my regular fitness routine – until now. As part of my fitness challenge, my new class this week was Pilates. Molly Chavers was kind enough to invite me to one of the classes she teaches at Invoke Studio. I’m not a morning person, so I appreciated her noon class on Friday class rather than her 6:30 a.m. class on Tuesday.

Prior to Friday’s class, I envisioned Pilates to be a room full of women doing strange poses. I envisioned a lot of stretching versus a hard workout. I envisioned calming music played purposefully to help me relax rather than what turned out to be some of the latest popular tunes that I truly enjoyed (not that there’s anything wrong with calming music). I must admit, this class changed my perception of Pilates. What used to have a bad rep, now has me talking it up to others.

I’m the type of person who thinks if I’m not sweating, than I’m not getting a good workout. That wasn’t the case with this class. When I was told to get a mat, a ring, hand weights and a weight bar, I knew I was in for a greater workout than first anticipated. Granted, I didn’t sweat (which turned out to be a good thing since I didn’t have time to shower right after class); but I definitely got a good workout.

We worked our legs, arms, abs and back. We probably worked other muscles during the hour, but those are the main ones I knew got a really good workout (trust me, I felt it the next day). My favorite was working the back muscles – something I rarely do, and something that I need to do more often. We lifted weights, used the ring to tighten muscles and did a great ab workout – and yes, we did a lot of great stretches and flexibility moves too.

Molly was a wonderful instructor. She was motivating, supportive and made it fun. The other women in the class also were very welcoming – as everyone said goodbye, one woman said she hoped to see me again (I felt like the new kid who was invited to the cool kids’ lunch table).

As for my first Pilates experience … I left there feeling relaxed, stretched – and stronger. I look forward to figuring out a way to incorporate Pilates into my regular routine now. I can definitely see the benefit of a Pilates class during triathlon training too (especially the back and ab stretches that work the core)

For those of you who may think Pilates and/or Yoga classes are too expensive (another misperception I had), you’ll be pleased to know that Invoke offers several “Community Classes” for just $5 and a “First Saturday of the Month Free” promotion. To find out more about Invoke visit www.invokestudio.com or call 317.631.9642.

Most gyms offer Pilates classes and several Pilates studios are located throughout town, some of which include:
•   Pilates Indy, Inc.: www.pilatesindyinc.com
•   Mindful Movement Studio: www.mindfulmovementstudio.com
•   Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit: www.15tofit.com
•   Pilates With John: www.pilateswithjohn.com

Do you have a favorite Pilates class or instructor? Please share so we can check it out.

Kelly Young owns Baise Communications, with a focus on doing great work for great organizations. With FitCity as one of her clients, she’s committed to moving more and eating healthier (or at least giving it her best shot). Kelly has completed three Olympic Triathlons and several Century rides with Team in Training. She lives in New Palestine with her husband and two young kids – all of whom find ways to support her crazy fitness phases. Contact Kelly at kelly@baisecommunications.com.

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