Being a guy and taking Pilates through inthepink is, apparently, a pretty big deal. I used to play baseball here at Vassar, but due to injury, I had to cut my career short; looking for a way to stay in shape, I decided to try a Pilates class since I heard about the core strength and flexibility benefits of the exercise.
When I tell most of my friend’s that I’m taking a 7:30 a.m. Pilates class, I normally get the following responses: “Why are you awake at 7:30?”; “Are you the only guy in that class?”; “Dude! Pilates is easy; my mom does it.”
I love sleeping in, so waking up at 7 is not my favorite thing in the world to do. I’ll admit that being the only male in a class that is predominantly populated by older woman is a little embarrassing; even so, I give these ladies credit, since Pilates is far from easy. As someone who considers himself to be a pretty good athlete, I was amazed with the quality of workout you can get from just an hour a day.
In my first class, I was a little skeptical because I wasn’t finding the first few moves to be that challenging; but by the time it was 8 o’clock, I was pouring in sweat and my heart was pumping like crazy. The greatest thing about Pilates though, is the last 5-10 minutes; you stretch and lie on your back with your eyes shut and you simply let your throbbing muscles and mind leave your body for a few minutes. It is honestly one of the best parts of my day.
The class is also great because Theresa, the instructor, really knows Pilates well and she allows everyone to go at their own pace. The class consists of people who, like me, have never done Pilates before, as well as people who’ve been doing it for years; and everyone gets something out of it. If there’s a movement you can’t do, Theresa will demonstrate at least one modified version so you can still get a good workout.
So if you’re looking for something new, or you want to improve your core strength and flexibility, or if you don’t believe me about how great of a workout Pilates is, try it yourself. Contact Roman Czula for schedules and costs of classes (Classes are at most about $30 for the whole semester so it won’t bust your wallet).
