My New Fitness Journey – Reformer Pilates Week 1
We all often dream of trying a new workout. When you hear buzz about a trendy new workout, or a workout that is supposed to give you great muscle tone, we all want to try it, right? That’s how I’ve felt for a couple years about reformer Pilates. I have done mat Pilates for years, but had never tried reformer Pilates; for a few reasons:
- The machines you use for Reformer Pilates looked complicated and intimidating to me
- Since it is supposed to give you great muscle tone, I was afraid that meant the workouts would be too hard.
- There are so many studios to choose from, I didn’t know where to begin.
I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at reformer Pilates. Since I work out daily, but wasn’t seeing the muscle tone I hoped to get out of my workouts, I thought it was a good time to try it. If I am taking an hour each day to give my body healthy exercise, I want to make the most out of the time I put in and get the results I want! Here is my journey with reformer Pilates week 1.
Choosing The Right Place
As I mentioned, I didn’t know how to pick the right place to do reformer Pilates, since in Orange County there are a lot of studios. I ended up selecting Club Pilates in Laguna Niguel, CA. I started the selection process by looking at Yelp ratings – they had great ratings, so that was a huge plus! I then wanted to pick based on schedules. It is very important to me, having a tight schedule, to pick a studio that has a huge selection of class times to choose from. Club Pilates in Laguna Niguel definitely has that – starting at early in the morning at 6am, to mid afternoon and evening classes, I have never had an issue fitting in a class there with my hectic schedule. Lastly, probably the biggest selling point for me, was that they have a wide variety of different reformer Pilates classes. They have levels 1, 1.5, and 2, along with barre and TRX infused classes. I wanted to workout at a studio with a variety of types of classes, so that my body can stay challenged and better get the results I want over a long period of time.
Trying Reformer Pilates for the First Time
I started out with a demo class that Club Pilates offers, which helped me get over my fear of figuring out the reformer machines! In the demo class, an instructor walks you through all the ins-and-outs of the machine. It’s a very hands-on demo, where you actually are on the machine doing different common Pilates moves, so these half hour demo classes really help the information stay ingrained for when you go to a full length class.
After the demo, I took two full length level 1 classes that week, and absolutely loved them! Since gaining muscle tone takes time, I haven’t seen any physical changes yet, but I have been beginning to feel benefits. Most noticeably, my back feels wonderful. When I would do mat work, my back would often hurt, since I am busty a lot of workout moves can be straining on the lower back. However, with Reformer Pilates, it feels as if I’m getting aligned at the chiropractor! It not only makes my back feel wonderful, but have definitely noticed improvement in my posture. I tend to hunch a lot, and have never felt so elongated! I am also already feeling like I am stronger – I took two level 1 classes and am already to move on to 1.5!
Week One Results
Week One of Reformer Pilates just flew by! I am itching to get back on the machine and see what week two of reformer Pilates brings; both physically and emotionally. Each week, I will have a new video diary, as well as a new picture of myself so you can see my changes over the next few weeks!
Results:
- Better posture
- Less back pain
- Feeling stronger and ready to try the next level of Reformer Pilates
I have my next week’s classes for level 1.5 already scheduled – I was able to easily schedule them through the Club Pilates app – super convenient with my busy lifestyle! Be sure to check out next week’s results as you follow along my journey with Club Pilates Laguna Niguel! And if you’re wanting to give reformer Pilates a try, be sure to check out Club Pilates Laguna Niguel’s Facebook page, as they often have events and opportunities for you to try a free demo.
Update: Thanks for following along with my fitness journey with reformer Pilates week 1! Check out my reformer Pilates week 2 progress, and week 3 here.
