Day 20 - Done in 60 seconds

Have you ever purchased a service (could be foot reflexology, massages, facials and the like) and decided to go for the package deal because it made economical sense? And did you later, feel like flinging your phone across the room because you've failed, probably for the 4th time in a row, to secure the appointment you wanted?

It happens to me all the time when I call my usual foot reflex joint... I usually end up compromising on the time slot and throwing my carefully scheduled weekend out of whack. Ugh.

What is NOT frustrating though, is the online reservation tool for pilates lessons at The Pilates Place. The schedule for the entire week and the available slots are visible at a glance. If you're super organized and a little more kiasu, the monthly schedule is available and if you are of the Carpe-Diem variety, there's a Day-view as well. As it's an online tool, it's available 24/7, which means you can book any time of the day. Just log-in and 3 clicks later, you're set!

Click 1 - Select the time and date of your pilates session
Click 2 - Select "New Reservation"
Click 3 - Select "Create Reservation"

You'll receive a confirmation email in your inbox almost immediately after the 3rd click and WA-LAH! Done in 60 seconds.

No doubt, lessons are on a first-come, first-served basis. The difference at The Pilates Place though, is that there are so many classes to choose from throughout the day (and more during the peak hours) that I've always gotten the session that I was after. The awesome twosome (aka Jacq & Jack) have done a great job of refining and adding to their repertoire at the studio. As their member base grows, they have systematically (and intelligently) added the right combination of classes so that no one is left wanting.

"How hard is it to add pilates sessions?", you might ask.

It may not be rocket science but consider this - The Pilates Place has members at various levels of pilates fitness: the beginners, the intermediates, the cardio-fit and the just-stark-raving-pilates-mad people. As members go through week after week of classes, their techniques improve, fitness and endurance levels are elevated and their familiarity with the pilates movements grow. Members then have more options open to them - instead of the lower intensity Pilates Flow classes, they can upgrade to Pilates Athletic, or even Jumpboard. From there, they can move on to Circuit classes (pilates-mad people fall in this category).

You could attribute it to a logical mind, or even pure luck.
Me? I'd put it down to dedication and a keen knowledge of each and every member by none other than the awesome twosome.

Day 15 - Tastes like humble pie

For the uninitiated (yours truly included), pilates may seem like a fitness regime which can be mastered in a matter of weeks or months. We’re all familiar with the kick-boxing, power jam or yoga class that goes through a fixed sequence of moves, with a little variation sometimes, but largely routine. So routine, such that the “regulars” (you MUST have come across those hyper enthusiasts who want to stand closest to the instructor, who buy all the accessories such as cut-off gloves, who say “HYAH” the loudest) are able to transition to the next step before the instructor even prompts them to.

Pilates, I found, was anything but routine. I’m amazed time and again, by the configurations of movements that can be attained simply by placing my body on the reformer alone, what more adding an accessory – from something as simple as a sponge or a theraband, to slightly more complex items such as a Box, a Jumpboard etc.

The Pilates Place, has a number of tailored classes, each catering to various cardio levels, different fitness levels and various complexities. I was about to go through a class that ranked high on all counts – the Circuit!

It was once again, a humbling experience because after 2 weeks of daily sessions, I thought I had a handle (no pun intended) on pilates. I was getting quite familiar with the moves and improving my execution of each movement with each lesson.

The Circuit brought me back to reality and exposed just how unfit I was and how I lacked strength, muscle and flexibility in certain areas. The toughest movement was the one where I started off standing on The Chair. I had to grip the handlebars and support my weight using my arms, with my legs dangling in midair. Exhaling to engage my core, I had to bring my knees up to hip height in rapid succession whilst stabilizing the lower body to ensure that it didn’t sway. I wasn’t successful at all.

My classmate on the other hand, went through The Circuit relatively unscathed. She did groan a little now and then, but she was miles better than I was.

This in itself was a motivation - I thought… I’m gonna nail that movement. If not the next lesson, then the one after. Or the one after that… or the one after that…