Being HIIT girls, we don't take the time away from our burpees and deadlifts to do any low-impact exercises. Sure, we can jump a box as if we were in a circus, but actually taking the time to connect to our muscles, and feel them working, ain't nobody got time for dat!
#Pilates. We decided it was time to change things up. We would take a class. Not just any class, a Master Class. We connected with Jocelyne, the owner of Cornerstone Pilates in Burlington, and she invited us out to take a Dynamic Pilates class. Let me be brutally honest (shocker, I know), we were not expecting much. The only thing I knew about Pilates, I knew from my Mari Winsor Pilates VHS tapes that I bought after my first child with the naive and somber hope that I would leg lift my way back into the size 4 I started with. 3 days in, I got bored, my breasts leaked, and I gave it all up. That was in 2004. Needless to say, Pilates has changed.
Back to the story...
Clara and I entered the quaint little studio and we were instantly caressed by the warmth and chill vibe it emitted. Unpretentious and charming, both the owner and the studio welcomed us.
Don't forget, up until this point, Clara and I were still not expecting to get our backsides lashed. That is until Jocelyne showed us the state of the art equipment and explained that we would be doing plenty of jumping. Huh?
She took us into a room with reformer machines, and explained the exercises and her sinister plan to work our muscles into oblivion while watching in pleasure.
Off to work we went. Jumping off of the boards, stretching, pulling, breathing. I get winded just thinking about it. We used blocks, balls, noodles, cushions... The sweat began to form on our brows. Not the puddles of sweat we become submerged in with our other workouts. The subtle kind that is released when you workout just enough to please your body. Now, don't misunderstand, peeps, we were grumbling. We had to hold our legs in positions we didn't think possible, all with one arm in the air, holding our core tight, and of course, in my case, holding in the profanities. The exercises were powerful, yet un-intimidating- just like Jocelyne. Sweet and tenacious. We worked-what felt like- every minuscule muscle in our body. Our tendons were rattled, and we loved every solitary shaky second of it. The reformer- coupled with the techniques we were taught, were a dynamic duo- hence the name of the class.
Besides being beaten into submission, Jocelyne explained what each exercise did, how it worked, and what muscles would be victimized. The explanation of the abuse our tissues were enduring allowed us to swallow the pain much easier.
By the end, we were thanking her for the astonishing workout, and attempting to remember how to walk in order to leave the studio. We looked like baby calves.
Moral of the story: Pilates is an insane workout that shapes your body in ways most workouts can't. When you find a studio such as @thecornerstonepilates in Burlington, the possibilities are endless! Check them out, take a class, put your muscles through the labour of the workout. They will thank you for it.
And as usual, we mustn't forget Jaime @_peonyphotography who always manages to make us look like movie stars. He is a true genius.
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