Reforming Myself

This evening I began the 7 week intro series at Vitality Pilates.  I started doing Pilates when I lived in Edmonds and almost instantly fell in love.  It's the first exercise/physical activity that has just seemed to "fit" with my body.  I feel really strong in my core, even though the weight I gain is always centralized there.  Underneath that pudge is a strong layer of muscle.  My legs, as well, are easy to strengthen and tone.  Pilates targets these areas, making me feel successful at the movements.  I love that and I loved what it did for my body.  I even looked into teacher training with the idea I could teach Pilates for a living. The classes I took in Edmonds were mat classes.  I've always wanted to try doing Pilates on the Reformer, but I never thought I could afford it.  I finally decided I just needed to do it, regardless of cost.  I've been so unhappy with my shape and it's become essential for me to be more active.  I figured nothing could motivate me to commit to exercise like Pilates, let alone the form of it that I've always wanted to try.  So tonight was the first night.

I liked it.  I thought it was pretty basic, but I understand why it needed to be.  I am still not totally convinced that the Reformer is an essential piece of equipment.  Most of what we did tonight, I did on the mat without a machine.  In many ways, the machine made the exercises easier because I didn't have to hold my own leg in the air--the machine (and the weight of my body as resistance) supported it.  In other ways, as I add more resistance in time, for example, it will be more challenging to use the Reformer than to do the same movements on the mat.  I am looking forward to what's to come.  They told me when I enrolled that I might need to have a conversation with the instructor as the class progresses about my individual needs--increasing the challenge or lessening it--because this is a group class where 7 others are being accommodated as well.  I will definitely keep quiet for the next 3 classes, to see how she progresses the class.  After that, I might ask for ways in which I can modify the machine to increase the challenge while doing the same things everyone else is doing.  I know it's possible.  If, after this 7 weeks I've regained a love and passion for Pilates, I might look into the teacher training class again.  It would satisfy me so much more to run a Pilates studio than to teach elementary school. I wouldn't do it, though, unless I truly felt successful at Pilates, though.  That will require a lot of work to feel that way.  We'll see if I'm up to the challenge.