Obviously the commitment to a web 2.0 tool such as this blog was beyond my comprehension. It didn't occur to me that I should not have missed one day of posting. Because that 1 day became 2 days. And the 2 days became 4 and that became more. Then came the agony of deciding if i should try to continue posting as if i hadn't missed a day, or should i go according to the date-stamp? Fairly easy choice but again i failed.
The next part is hard for me to say because it ignoring it meant that my actions (or lack of) were not real. But the fact is that they were and therefore, for what it's worth, I'm sorry.
Sorry to the readers (if there are any left) and a zillion apologies to The Pilates Place.
Thursday
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.
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.
Monday
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!
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...
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...
Sunday
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…
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?
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.
Tuesday
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…
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…
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