Can someone talk me into Pilates?

[KoalaDownUnder]

I've tried it several times. Hated it. I found it completely boring. BUT have the sneaking suspicion it'd be worth it.

Generally quite fit, not overweight, but core strength definitely my weakest area.

Can anyone tell me how Pilates gave them the abs of Madonna, or something?

[OhTheRoses]

Not the abs of Madonna but a very good pelvic floor.

Second benefit is core and posture. I broke my back nearly two years ago. I now suffer less back pain since starting Pilates than before doing that.

Finally balance/co-ordination I have osteoporosis and broke my foot then back after low impact falls. I have always fallen over more than average. Not any more
There's something about body awareness.

Have had specialist physio designed sessions as well as small classes.

[KoalaDownUnder]

Ooh, thank you.

Some proper posture instead of my bendy pipe-cleaner swayback would be nice.

Do you enjoy it?? Why do I find it so boring??

[whyhastherumgone]

Following with interest op

[mayhew]

I did it for 12 years. Started age 42 when I realised my neck stiffness wouldn't allow me to look over my shoulder at a dangerous junction. I always had poor abdominal tone, even pre pregnancy.

Neck much better within 6 months. Core strength still much better even though I've had to take a year off due to shoulder issues. My abs are better now (still) than in my 20s.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

Of all the many things I would call it (excruciating?) boring is last!

I started 6 months ago, I shuffled rather than walked for the first several weeks because I was so sore (had to grip the sink to sit down to the loo, etc).

The first amazing thing you'll notice is your arms. 3 months in, they started looking really toned. I'm so happy with my shoulders/clavicles/arms that I have been in sleeveless and spaghetti strap tops the whole summer. My shoulders are really hard to the touch.

Now (6 months in) my stomach, which remains a bit flabby, has what I could only describe as a ring of muscle around my belly button emerging. It's like a circle, the size of a big pancake or small frisbee.

I can feel the muscle in my legs, but that is not so easily exposed - I'm running 3 miles, 5 times a week and my legs have toned up a bit but I still can't see the muscle that I can feel.

I'm 44 by the way, and was a size 12 before I started all this and am now an 8-10. What I also discovered is that because I held my fat in all the usual middle-aged ways i.e. love handles, and had adapted my wardrobe to that, my clothes carried in fitting in the same way for a long time - skinny jeans, for example, will accommodate the ring of fat above so you won't have the satisfying gaps in the waistline that you're looking for (those have only just arrived in the past month or two).

The scale is not your friend in the case of pilates, before I could see all these effects I saw that I had gained about 6 pounds and it threw me into a terrible state. I suggest having your body fat measured in advance so you can see the results objectively.

My best advice, though, is to find a 45 minute rather than 1 hour class. This made all the difference in the world for me. I prefer the mat pilates to the reformer and it's a helluva lot cheaper - I can't find reformer classes for less than £25 (west London) but I've found a lot of intense mat classes that are unlimited for say, £70/month.

Good luck.

[bruffin]

I really didnt enjoy it either, but have a friend who loves it.
But i now do fitball pilates which is fun, but then we have a great teacher, all the same moves but on a giant gym ball.
My aqua aerobics teacher also does a lot of core strength work as well, again much more enjoyable than straight pilates.

[Smidge001]

Ooh I just created a thread asking about Bootcamp pilates. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2984372-Anyone-tried-Bootcamp-Pilates

It looked less boring to me and also makes me feel as though it would DO something with those machines (ha! As ever wanting all the benefit with minimal effort/commitment )

But I agree it is quite expensive (though they do an introductory offer for £20 for two sessions). But tiptop you say you prefer the mat sessions...? Would you still say that if they were the same price? Also, can you help me understand what 'reformer' pilates is (is it the use of machines, or something else?)

[whyhastherumgone]

@tiptoptiptopclop did you do mainly mat pilates? I can tell afford classes at the moment so am looking at dvds but there are so many im not sure what's good. Well done on your amazing results!

Sorry to hijack, op.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

Smidge, the mat sessions are just as brutally difficult as the reformer (which is the machine, yes) - I actually think mat-based is harder because the leg work uses the weight of your body rather than the tension of the machine and it's just harder. My teacher is a tyrant, though - I expect there are much gentler versions of mat Pilates.

I did the 45 min Bootcamp Pilates session last week and I thought it was a bit easier than my mat class - the only thing that was harder was the very inside muscles of your inner thigh, which the reformer seemed more effective at working.

Bootcamp Pilates is good but expensive, if I recall correctly you can get your sessions down to maybe 22/class but really you need do Pilates 3 and preferably 4x weekly to see the results so that's approaching £400/month.

Mat pilates is far less expensive, I am on the cusp of joining a Virgin Active where the mat classes are part of the membership at £68/month off-peak. I'm taking my trial this weekend, I'm concerned it might not be as good as my other one - I'll report back.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

@tiptoptiptopclop did you do mainly mat pilates? I can tell afford classes at the moment so am looking at dvds but there are so many im not sure what's good. Well done on your amazing results!

thanks why. I do mostly mat classes, yes - the reason a DVD wouldn't work for me is that I would just quit. It is brutally difficult and if you can force yourself to do 45 min of brutal exercises in front of your TV, you're a better woman than I .

[whyhastherumgone]

there is that - although i'm planning to it with a friend to keep ourselves going. Is it standard pilates you do? I'm so impressed by your results, that's fantastic hope you are super proud of yourself and swanning around showing off your shoulders

[Smidge001]

Thanks tiptop. But 3 or 4 times a week?! oh dear - no wonder I didn't see any benefit when I went once a week for 6 sessions

I think my local place does a 3 month pass for just under £50 per month. Looks as if that would be worthwhile to try - I wouldn't have time to fit in any other exercise to warrant the full on virgin gym membership!! Ha ha.

You've hit the nail on the head though when you mention your specific instructor. That's the main thing that puts me off as they can surely vary significantly, and you have no idea until you've tried and have other instructors to compare against.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

You are so sweet, why. I have been swanning around a fair bit with the shoulders.

Just do it, I wish I had done it before. Go with a friend.

[Smidge001]

Oh, maybe I read the pricing wrong - it says £140 for 3 month introductory membership... but looking at the prices of normal sessions I'm beginning to think they mean £140 PER MONTH

Geez. No wonder you're doing the mat sessions.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

I think my local place does a 3 month pass for just under £50 per month. Looks as if that would be worthwhile to try - I wouldn't have time to fit in any other exercise to warrant the full on virgin gym membership!! Ha ha.

If you're doing say, 12 mat classes a month, £50 is the best you could hope for- not using the other facilities is fine (from a cost perspective).

[TipTopTipTopClop]

Oh, maybe I read the pricing wrong - it says £140 for 3 month introductory membership... but looking at the prices of normal sessions I'm beginning to think they mean £140 PER MONTH

That's expensive. Can you find an off-peak one?

[KoalaDownUnder]

TipTop, thanks for posting - that's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear! Toned shoulders and muscle on stomach = sign me up!

Also, we are the same age and I have a class called Pilates Matwork included in my gym membership! 💪

There's a class tonight, so I will report back.

[rainbowduck]

My SIL teaches it and the difference in her body since she decided to do it, is amazing. Almost enough to make me contemplate giving it a whirl...

[IDismyname]

I've been doing Pilates for about 5 years. I've always done a mat based class. The one I go to is £8 a session which is excellent value. My teacher also teaches at the local David Lloyd, so to go and see her there would cost £££!!

I have , however, started doing another hour a week with a friend who's training to be an instructor. I go with one other friend. That extra hour has made all the difference to me, and I feel so much more toned.

It's really not the most exciting time of my week, but I now approach it in the manner that it's my 'me' time. I'm intrigued by the poster who's lost a dress size.

[TipTopTipTopClop]

Ok, here's my stomach after 6 months of Pilates. It is, as I said, still pretty flabby (that's all diet) but it's an improvement on before. It was so, so, bad.

[lljkk]

Pilates ticks all my boxes for boring. I swear I'd fall asleep.
There are other ways to work abdomen & back muscles that aren't so dull.