I've only been doing pilates for about two weeks now and I really think I'm gonna stick with it. Yoga has occupied a lot of my time off and on for years, but I just had my first pilates class recently - and I don't think I'll ever want to go back to yoga now. It's not that I dislike yoga, I just don't really care about focussing on all of the breathing stuff, I think. Maybe when I'm older I'll give more of a shit about that kind of thing? Not sure. But for now, I'm think I'm looking for something that's more heavily involved in lots of movements and strength stuff. And that is exactly what pilates is all about.
Why should you try it out?
- It can range from being really tame to grossly exhausting, depending on the teacher, which is a good thing. Why is that good? 'Cause if it were the same level of intensity at all times, that would get monotonous. And also, some days you want to push yourself.
- It's, in my opinion, more active than yoga. Unless you're into how calming yoga is, then cool, stick with that. But if you've ever done yoga and have either scoffed at it or thought it wasn't for you? Definitely try pilates as an alternative.
- It's not just for women. Most classes I've gone to have been 90% women, but I've talked to male personal trainers who swear by going. They say that it helps with a man's flexibility more than anything (which is something most men don't care about apparently? And they should.)
- If you skip going to the gym and go to a class instead - you don't feel terrible about the no gyming.
- You learn to get bendy as hell.
Anyway, if you ever get a chance you go to a class, definitely go. I love it to death. I know it's only been two weeks, but it's the only sort of exercise that's managed to excite me and make me want to keep going. And I feel like that's a hard thing to come across.
Sidenote: Just because I do healthier stuff now does not mean I won't review donuts and/or pen an essay exploring the greatness of all the different kinds of gravy in the world.