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 19 - Kinky... real kinky

What’s white and furry, comes in a pair and is connected to 2 horizontal beams which are part of a four-poster bed-like structure?

Sounds exciting? I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it IS exciting. And tell you something else… I intend to give it a shot. Soon… real soon.

Before you get too excited, I’m referring to the brand new Cadillac that’s been installed on the second floor of The Pilates Place.

The Cadillac is essentially a raised padded platform connected by a four-poster frame and with an elevated rectangular frame above it. It has a number of straps, springs and levers connected to it and it’s along the elevated frame that 2 white and furry straps hang from. In case there still is any doubt in your mind, the Cadillac is pilates related. Jacq explained that one way to utilize the straps, is to place one’s feet into them and hang from them in an upside-down position, with your hands touching the floor – allowing a deep stretch in the back and the core.

It’s a different kind of head rush but hell, I’m game!

Day 18 - The Weigh-In

Imagine Jackie arriving at the studio today grinning from ear to ear and toting an ominous looking paperbag. Had I been endowed with a couple more points on my IQ score, I would have turned tail and ran out of The Pilates Place.

Unfortunately, the heavens mustn’t have been in a generous mood when doling out brains on my birthday. Three-score and eighty-five after I was born, I opened my big mouth and asked Jackie what was in the bag. The answer: A weighing machine.

Great, just great. I was contented in the knowledge that my arms were on their way to being magnificently toned. It’s true – my arms were taut now, with minimal appearance of squishy fat and even less likelihood of looking dimpled when I placed my arms against my body, and I was happy, even overjoyed, with that. Why on earth would I want to put myself on a weighing scale?

But, at both Jacq’s and Jackie’s insistence, I took that all-important step. I kept my head up and winced while the twin heads of J&J bent over and peered at the rapidly rolling numbers that appeared on the scale. “what’s the damage ladies?”, I asked.

“No damage”, came the answer. “You lost 1.5kilos”.

“Sorry, what? I lost weight?... I LOST WEIGHT?!” WOOHOO! I lost 1.5 kilos! That was fantastic!

I jumped off the scale and hopped over to the back of the counter, searching for the tape measure. If I had lost weight, I must have lost more inches as well!
True enough, I had.

Arms: ½ an inch off the right arm, 1 inch off the left (hmm.. could my left side be stronger?)

Waist: A WHOPPING 2 inches off!

Hips: Still 1 inch slimmer from the start (maintaining that was good for me...)

Left thigh: slimmer by 1.5 inches (Yes!)

Right thigh: slimmer by 1 inch (still uneven loss but progress is progress)


Sweet… I'm definitely a bigger fan of losing inches & kilos versus IQ points...

Day 17 - Another first...

This week seems to be the week of firsts – first circuit class, first class with Jackie… and today was my first jumpboard class!

I had done a couple of jumpboard exercises when Jacq “sprinkled” them into our regular pilates athletic or pilates flow classes.. the movements were pretty fun and really got my heart rate up, so I was really looking forward to today’s class!
Jacq wasn’t kidding when she said that pilates could be cardio-intensive. The class started off innocently enough on the reformer with a few movements to warm the legs up. We were pushing against a padded oak or maple board in lieu of the usual bar.

Once we were done with that, the jump portion of the class started, with 5minutes worth of jump exercise. 5 minutes you say? Pfft.. what’s 5 minutes? It may seem like peanuts but you have to try it to believe it.

Building from the usual leg press movement – I was now to use my feet, to propel myself away from the board. Starting from the heel and rolling to the balls of my feet, I engaged my quads and my core and pushed with my feet away from the board. I felt the connection to my core, but that wasn’t the end of it. Pointing my toes while in mid-air meant that my leg muscles and adducter muscles were connected as well. Landing, was even tougher. Instead of a regular landing, I had to simulate a cat-like landing – light as a feather, without the usual “thump”. This was achieved by landing with the toes first, followed by the heels, compared to a flat-footed landing. That in itself, worked the quad muscles just above the knee and required discipline in the thighs to allow the reformer to come close to the board, without clashing and clanging the springs.

Each minute of the jump movements was a different variation – legs together, legs apart, alternating legs together and apart, the scissor and my personal favourite, the ski.

At the end of 5 mins, the muscles in my legs were burning and perspiration was streaming down my face and neck. We went through arm movements with the jumpboard as well – modified pushups whilst maintaining stability in the lower body.

It hadn’t happened in a while but I did ache with every step as I left The Pilates Place… I like it…

Day 16 - Awesome Twosome

Alliteration is the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter. For an example very close to home, we have the Pilates Place.
But that’s not the only one available – there’s also Jacq and Jack. We all know who Jacq is… but Jack?

Well, Jack is short for Jackie, who is the other half of the twosome who brought The Pilates Place to us mere fitness mortals. So far, my interactions with Jackie have been confined to chats before or after pilates classes but today, we were taking our relationship to the next level ;)

I was to participate in a class that Jackie would lead. This was going to be interesting. If you’ve never met Jackie, she’s a really nice person and she has the best posture I’ve ever seen. Like, ever.

The class started with a few limbering movements and then we moved onto the reformer. Within a few minutes of the session, I was already corrected for my form – I was not keeping enough of a neutral spine. That made me more conscious for the rest of the class and was a big help because I could actually feel the difference.

Jackie’s choice of movements, was different from Jacq’s – which is great because it added even more variation to the repertoire that I had been exposed to. Not that Jacq’s classes were routine or predictable, No No, not at all.

What I AM saying though, is that the styles and approaches of both Jacq & Jackie complement each other, making them a truly 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…

Day 13 - The Morning After...

My wonderful friends threw me a hen’s party last night. Despite a grueling Friday noon-time pilates session, the excitement of what the night might bring kept my energy levels up and I arrived at Howl at the Moon at Peranakan Place with much anticipation.

I was not disappointed – 5 champagnes, 1 white wine, 2 whiskies and a feather boa-ed flamingo later, I was still standing and managed to get home without reviewing the contents of my stomach! An achievement because I’m famous for my two-drink maximum. Ask anyone of my friends.

And, to add another feather to my cap – I actually woke up and arrived in time for my 9.30am class at The Pilates Place! How’s THAT for commitment!

Jacq’s pilates class hit the spot, and it was a great way to get over the late night, the alcohol and the (mild) hangover. By the end of the class, my vision was back to normal (no longer blurry round the edges) and the slight ache in my skull had dissipated.

While I might not relish an early class when I’m hitting clubs the night before, pilates has definitely climbed to the top of my list of hangover cures

Day 12 - Just a notch

It might have been my imagination but I could have sworn that today’s class was a shade tougher than the usual work out. Jacq seemed to be leading the class at a quicker pace and the movements seemed more challenging – raise your legs, point your toes, exhale, flex up and raise yourself to a teaser position… Oh! And while you’re at it – maintain your teaser position, stretch your left hand across to your neighbour on the right and poke her in the ribs. It was that complex.

After class, I hung back to chat with Jacq & Jackie – I was concerned because despite losing inches off my thighs and hips, the weighing scale said that I was the same weight!?

Now… I’m never one to trust the scales – who could blame me? I had been on the wrong side of 50kilos since I was a teen! The years of trauma led me to develop a mantra: As long as I looked good, I didn’t care how much I weighed.

The plausible explanations were:
1. I was retaining water. Possible…
2. I was gaining muscle. Equally plausible.

I thiiiink… both were probably happening at the same time. And, of course, I was looking better, which is the whole point ;)

Day 11 - The return to Tras

After a hiatus of 4 days, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t get past the Thursday evening group lesson without substantial internal injury. Nonetheless, I was glad to be at The Pilates Place again. The woody décor of the studio and its row of reformers was familiar and comforting while the scent of tea tree in the air was at once calming and invigorating.

True enough, I didn’t breeze through the lesson today. I had to concentrate harder to get the movements correct. In just 4 days, I had somehow forgotten to breathe correctly and I found my movements and breaths out of sync.

I latched on to Jacq’s voice and her instructions, trying to clear my mind of all preconceived notions of how I should be performing the movements. Perhaps Jacq sensed my struggles – I hope that they were the struggles of the other ladies in the class as well, but her advice came as such: Exhale for one second first to activate the core muscles and then begin your movement.

I obeyed dutifully and it made all the difference.

Day 8 - Armchair Pilates

It’s my first morning in lovely, sunny Phuket where I was to be sequestered in an air-conditioned conference room, with the curtains drawn, facing presentations all day with respite only available during the designated tea & meal breaks.

Fortunately, I had a chance on Sunday (yesterday) to get out and enjoy the sunshine and scenery afforded by the Laguna Golf Course. Even then, pilates was on my mind – the new & killer routine that Jacq had put the class through on Saturday had focused on the upper back muscles which made me acutely aware of my upper back muscles with every golf swing that I took.

Being away from Singapore meant that I had to stay disciplined and put myself through the Theraband exercises that Jacq taught me after class on Saturday. Diligently, I had copied the details down but had somehow neglected to bring the sheet with me to Phuket. Sheer brilliance.

I tried to jot a couple of the movements down from memory but couldn’t recall much, which is when I decided to check out Youtube.com for videos. It turned out to be a great resource. Although… I suspected that nothing could beat my experiences of a real lesson at The Pilates Place.

Day 7 - The Contender

Bring it on! Was my reaction to Jacq when I received her text message when I landed in Phuket. Turns out that someone emailed her and wants to challenge me to a Pilates duel. Quizzically, you frown wondering how on earth 2 individuals can duel in Pilates.

I have absolutely no idea. But whatever or however… I’m game. Let’s do this ;)

Day 6 - Do you Measure Up?

It’s my 6th consecutive day of pilates training and my body felt good – I felt taut, hell, even svelte. The kinda slim-feeling you get after emerging from a strict month-long low-protein, high exercise diet. Except that this was 6 days.

I think Jacq saw a difference as well, which probably prompted her to measure my various problem areas again. We took 1 set of measurements before my first lesson and 6 days and 6 sessions later, I was at the altar of reckoning, the moment of truth.

Arms – no change (ok-aaay, I felt tighter though)

Waist – no change (how can that be? I thought I saw a slight waistline in the mirror this morning!)

Hips – slimmer by 1 inch (YES!)

Left thigh – slimmer by 1 inch as well (WOOHOO!)

Right thigh – slimmer by ½ inch (so I’ll have unevenly slimmer thighs, works for me!)

Jacq telling me that I’ve improved significantly since Monday – PRICELESS

Day 5 - Real women do Pilates

It’s 12.23pm and I’m still in the office - running late for class AGAIN. Dammit.

I switch out my work heels, put on my trusty flip flops and do a quick trot over to Tras Street, arriving just in time for my second group lesson in 2 days and per the day before, I’m joining a group of ladies who are seasoned “pilateans” – if such a word exists.

Thankfully, I’m not the latest and I wriggle out of my work clothes and into my pilates kit whilst Jacq explains the differences in the Stott machines to the group.

It is, as always, an enjoyable hour. The springs in the reformer hum rhythmically as Jacq guides the class through her Pilates Athletic repertoire. My eyes start to blank out – I’ve reached a state of pilates nirvana where I’m looking but not seeing, my ears home-in on Jacq’s voice and my mind focuses on the lengthening & contracting of the muscles in my body as I breathe steadily.

After class, I pad back to the office and en route, realize that I had really missed out the last couple of years, by not being a part of the sorority of pilates loving women.

I had loved jogging - feet pounding the pavement, feeling the burn and letting the perspiration soak through my t-shirt, congratulating myself that THAT was real exercise. In my mind, pilates was the realm of chi-chi tai-tais who needed an easy, glamourous, time-filler before the next high tea or mani-pedi.

I couldn’t be further from the truth. The ladies I’ve met so far did not fit the stereotype. Don’t get me wrong - they all looked good but they also had real jobs… they had families… they had schedules…

Day 4 - I wanna be like Madonna

I was watching TV last night, my favourite cable channel being E! Entertainment – channel 80 on Starhub’s Max TV. If you’ve never watched it, you absolutely have to. Celebrity gossip, celeb reality shows, red carpet moments galore.

Naturally, I was tuned into my favourite channel and it turns out that Madonna and I have something in common!

Aside from the obvious, it turns out that Madonna is a Pilates fan! Maddie (E’s term of endearment) apparently tours with a reformer. She does 4hours a day on the reformer to get & keep herself in tip-top condition while she’s travelling the world on concert tours. Maddie is the world’s 3rd highest paid celebrity, has 2 kids, the music career of the century, AND the most toned, well cut body that any girl could ask for. Some girls have all the luck.

I may not have the career or the bucks (or her husband for that matter) but I’m determined to get somewhere close to that body of hers and I’m counting on Jacq to whip me into shape.

It’s my first group class tonight and I’m a little nervous because I don’t want to look like a fool in front of 5 other people I don’t know. I arrive at the studio and I’m greeted by a chatter and laughter. Gulp. This group seems to be regulars and they all know each other. Oh boy.

I smile and acknowledge everyone and quickly take my place at a reformer. The pace of the group lesson isn’t frenetic as I expected. The banter and sometimes hilarious exclamations from my classmates set me at ease while Jacq brings the class through at a moderate pace. I’m beginning enjoy myself and gain confidence when I screw up whilst kneeling on the reformer, sending the platform on rollers crashing forwards. My cheeks burn red instantly.

Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. At least once.”, Jacq says. The entire class choruses this and assures me that I’m not (much of) a psycho-motor idiot.

Phew… I wonder if it happened to Madonna…

Day 3 - The other Eccentric

Did you know, that there are at least 7 definitions for the word eccentric? One of which is related close to home. There's apparently an "eccentric" in the fitness world - An eccentric contraction of a muscle causes it to actively lengthen.

You learn something new everyday.

I stumbled upon this little nugget of information when I related to Jacq, a statement that a friend of mine made about starting pilates lessons. My friend was adamant that she had to slim down first before starting pilates lessons because pilates would supposedly cause her to build up muscle, to “bulk up” so to speak. And if she were to start pilates lessons without significantly slimming down, she would end up looking fatter or bigger because the “bulky” muscles beneath the fat would create the impression of a larger… .

That made some sense… enough for me to pose the question to Jacq. After all, I would be walking down the aisle in 23 days and the last thing I wanted, was to look like a body builder in my gown. No offence to body builders, of course.

When I asked, Jacq smiled a patient smile and launched into, what must be her millionth explanation to a statement regarded as myth in the fitness world.

She said – Imagine doing a bicep curl with a dumbbell in your hands. When you activate your muscles, lifting your hands toward your chest, this is known as a concentric contraction. The opposite movement – when you bring your hands back down to the starting position, is known as an eccentric contraction. Where the concentric movement squeezes and contracts the bicep, the eccentric movement lengthens, and stretches it. “Bulky” muscles, occur because people tend to favour the concentric phases of exercises while neglecting the eccentric phases.

Pilates focuses on both the concentric and eccentric phases of movement, building lean muscle and encourages the lengthening instead of building bulk.

Any more questions or can we start the lesson?

Day 2 - Come Hail or High Water

Cats & Dogs... It's lunchtime on a Tuesday and it's raining cats & dogs on Shenton Way. I'm due for my second pilates class with Jacq in about 10mins.. as usual, i'm going to be late!

Well, a little rain never hurt anyone and besides, i wasn't about to reschedule on the 2nd lesson and appear uncommited to my cause. No! Even if i had to be soaked to the bone, drenched and dripping with rain water, speckled with bits of mud and dirt kicked up by my Havaianas, i'll make it to class, dammit!

So I wind my way through the crowded maze of underground (read: sheltered & dry) walk-ways to get myself as close to Tras Street as possible. Emerging at the Peck Seah Street entrance of the Tanjong Pagar MRT station, i roll up the legs of my jeans - ignoring the smirks on the faces of the office ladies huddled under the shelter, waiting for the rain to dissipate - and I open my umbrella with a flourish, stepping out into the rain. As the water droplets thud lightly on my brollie, i glance backwards, victorious... My turn to smirk.

I arrive at the studio. Conscious of my lunch hour, we launched into the sequences immediately and it was nothing short of amazing. Just a day after my first lesson, I already felt a marked improvement in the way my body was reacting to the workout. As Jacq predicted, my muscles were now clued-in on the manner in which they would be (and were being) worked and I found the pilates moves much easier to execute than the day before.

Movements that had me shuddering and straining only yesterday, seemed more natural today. I felt greater stability. And with the stability, i gained confidence. Relieved that i did not resemble a Cirque du Soleil act gone-awry, i diverted my energies toward adding mental focus in controlling and sensing the contractions of my ab muscles and adductor muscles.

What. A. Difference. I found myself perspiring - not just tiny beads but rivulets of sweat. For that one hour, i was entirely devoted to me, my movements, my muscles and my breathing. Fabulous.

It had stopped raining by the time i stepped back on the street. 8 minutes later, i was back in the office, at my desk, tapping away on my keyboard, thinking that it was not at all, a bad way to spend my lunch hour.

Day 1 - So here I am...

on the verge of taking my first step toward what one could only describe as - a Pilates Bootcamp. For the next 20 or so days, i'd be devoting a single hour, everyday, without fail, rain or shine, to a good solid workout at The Pilates Place.

What is this Pilates Place, you may ask? (whilst furrowing your brow suspiciously) None other than the entreprenuerial whim of my long-time buddy - Jacqueline Lee. Well, not exactly a whim since she's ONLY successfully had a hand in establishing 2 gyms in Taiwan, a sporting apparel business and now a pilates studio, i mean pilates place. Whatever... you know what i mean.

Imagine me. In my daily office kit, looking up a flight of fairly steep stairs stretching 3 storeys upward. The camera pans 180degrees, moves away from me and zooms in on the object of my stare. Remind me how i got here? Ah yes... it was a challenge: to whip me into shape, rid me of underarm-dingle-dangle and to endow me with posture becoming of a princess, for my wedding in a month's time.

Focus. Deep breath. I take my first step and accelerate on my way upwards toward the studio.

Abductor, adductor, transverse ab muscles, longhead of the triceps (what!?!), pelvic floor... A crash course in muscle-lingo ensues (from Jacq) once i'm in my workout gear - sneakily sprung upon me while i'm lying on my back on the Reformer (1 of 6 work-out machines in her studio presently) so that i can't change my mind and try to escape. But all that melts away once she says the magic words and puts into context the purpose of working these muscles out - flat tummy, 6-pack abs, smaller waist (YES! there IS a God!), slimmer thighs (Hallelujiah!), and even... how should i say this... enhanced sensations usually associated with the bedroom - the key muscle being the pelvic floor. Yahoo.

Throughout the 1hr workout, i discovered muscles which i never knew i had. My image of a fit, strong and fairly toned self was dashed to bits as i was put through the basic paces of a pilates workout. It started off well enough, then some exercises had me more breathless than usual and towards the end, I embarrasingly "shuddered" through the more challenging moves as my muscles protested and seized up.

But things changed when i stood up from the reformer at the end of the class. The most immediate difference was a deep stretch in my abdominal muscles all the way to my pelvic bone. It felt as if my muscles were taut and made me feel that my tummy was being held-in without my actually sucking in and holding my breath. I felt that my back was straighter and that i was walking taller. Nothing ached (yet) and I had hardly perspired. I felt good.

In fact, i felt so good that i decided that i still had it in me to hit the driving range and go through a basket of golf balls.

As i retraced my steps down the steep flight of stairs, i found myself getting accustomed to the ache in my ab muscles. I actually like it... it makes me feel... accomplished.

I complete my descent from The Pilates Place and pad along the rows of shophouses along Tras Street, back to the car, knowing that i won't be hesitating at the bottom of those stairs again.