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I would not know how to determine when it happened to me to mark true Ariadne Artiles, with her fitness challengesbut, looking at the results, I can emphasize that it was a great idea that it would be a goal to practice pilates every day for a month. In all honesty, I’ve always had my eye on Pilates classes. Especially when I go to Lululemon Studio Mirror. So, after seeing how well the classes would suit me, I began to wonder what would happen if I kept my streak for a whole month. (spoilers: I really liked the experience, in the end, I decided to extend it for another 60 days)
Now, let’s back up a moment. Yes I decided to try this experience it’s because I’m currently working as the fitness editor at Women’s Health, which means exercise has been a part of my life for several years. However, a few months ago I stopped playing sports so continuously. The reasons? Well, mainly, I involve myself in the process moving and, likewise, I am in charge of a precious child who does not let me sleep excessively. So, I wanted to take advantage of this idea that I had to restart my relationship with sport and, incidentally, get that enthusiasm back.
The initial plan? Do Pilates five minutes a day
at the time of search the classes and register I chose the Mirror platform, that’s where I met the two main instructors, Rachel Nicks and Patricia Sabulis, they were amazing. They helped me, from my living room, take a Pilates class to another level. Emotional.
I ended up doing a different class every day. ( Note: but gave birth eight months ago and that he had completed heart rehabilitation And of course, I started this challenge after I was cleared to work out, so I was willing to sweat it out safely.)
For me, this Pilates adventure was a good experiment in physical conditioning. And, be careful, I’m not saying it’s the best way to exercise. Often, I used to finish the session with other movements and exercises.
And this is not my first foray into Pilates. The truth is, every time my friends complimented my abs, they said it was a result of Pilates. Because of that, I lost how modality made me feel (capable, strong and graceful) and, of course, I also lost show off strong abs.
And here, I share with you how my journey of doing Pilates every day for a month (which turned into three!) was like how I built a consistent routine and stayed motivated, and the most physical and mental changes best I’ve seen.
I changed the exercises and got used to the new routine without expectations and without judgement
I have done many hours of pilates in the past, but I felt like a complete novice. Fortunately, from the comfort of my home, I kept my camera out in the Mirror and didn’t have any colleagues to follow in a competitive way that could stress me out.
So instead of focusing on aesthetics, I thought about how Pilates routines could change the way I move and function on a daily basis. Sometimes I surprised myself by adding another class followed by pilates. Boxing? Strength and conditioning? For one more, what will happen?
A lot of short exercises are included
Not everything was great, for example, was some days I could not do the class until basically bedtime. By then I really didn’t want to sweat. Still, I fired up the Mirror and looked for the shortest class option. (thank you, simple filters). I hit the jackpot with 5 minute picks, which was the perfect bedtime ritual. (The IS five minute classes still included!) I’ve done longer nighttime skin routines, and the low-impact movements didn’t wake me up too much because my sleep suffered.
oh! AND burn those 5 minute classes too. Fun fact: the longer the class, the more breaks there are. Yes, the longer routines have more variety, for example some harder movements and more total work involved. Something is better than nothing, with those 5 minute classes posted. (Five minutes x seven days = 35 minutes!)
I introduced some of my equipment to my routines
A big part of my job is testing and reporting on different exercise equipment. I knew a pilates machine would be coming to my apartment during the challenge. (I felt like a celebrity when given the opportunity to test drive this kit and the Mirror.)
My living room was suddenly transformed into a training space. That made it easier to start a class than to plop down on the couch. All I had to do was play click in class on demand and hit the power button on Mirror and boom, I was breaking a sweat.
I realized pilates has a lot of cardio
One of my favorite things about Pilates is that most of the movements are done while lying on a mat. Usually the legs, upper body, or combo move, but back on the mat is always an advantage for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still tough and it burns.
Now imagine that you can jump while lying on the mat. The addition of the jump program to the reformer makes it possible to have a lot of fun. The traditional Pilates mat also has cardiovascular benefits, according to the investigation.
During basic exercises or at all activity during the day, I felt my abs kick in. Did my abs look a little bigger too? Sure, but I didn’t start the month with aesthetic goals, so I don’t even have a photo of the beginning to compare.
After a month, I didn’t want to stop…so I kept going.
My days weren’t complete without a little math session. I looked forward to my daily movement, be it on the tatami or the reformer; it became a precious time for me and brought me joy. I created a habit.
I also added more strength training some days and a bit of running. The remaining weeks were a blur as I consolidated my habit and my essence. Therefore, Pilates became an activity as automatic as brushing my teeth every night.
It wasn’t until I took a vacation after three months of Pilates that I paused my virtual exercises. Instead, I chose hiking trails.
I noticed improvements in strength and definition
When you think of pilates, you probably think of abs. The belly is the key to the movements, but you also work the arms, legs, buttocks, back and everything. Every muscle group was getting stronger.
Those strong gains helped me modify movements to level them up. Instead of bent legs or ab supported exercises, I spread my legs and went for the challenge option.
I really saw the progress with my roll up. I was able to sit up and back down in one slow, fluid motion. I could feel my core rising during movements like rolling like a ball and hundreds of classics.
Rejecting my excuses, she helped me find an exercise program that fit my new life as a mom.
Technically, I didn’t need anything to do my daily Pilates exercises. I could click play in the app and do all the exercises on my living room rug. I credit Mirror’s ease and motivation with helping me build my Pilates habit, but anything I’ve done with these types of videos can be done by anyone.