This makes me spend 4+ hours a day in front of my computer:
reading and writing papers, planing my next scientific move, trying to The rest of the time, I seat at my bench, using my very confortable faux-leather chair to wheel myself between the bench and the incubator, or the fume hood and the laminar flow one. Not your best fitness instructor routine.
One could think that having kids is the secret of youth and
fit (others know better). Many moms told me before that they stopped eating
when they had their second child, because they could not find time to cook and
sit for their own lunch or dinner. They were skinnier after having their
children than prior to preggo-days.
I’m not. I specialize in multi-tasking. This is my hallmark
and even a moderate source of pride. I paint my toe nails or cook dinner or
answer my emails while over the phone, I plan 5 experiments a day in the lab
(and on a good day 4 to 5 will work), I scream at my kids while combing their
hair or discuss homework while dressing them up. I sing (and swear) while
driving, I mentally write grants and grocery shopping lists when biking or
showering. I teach Pilates and present
my work in lab meeting the same day. You
get it.
So, while other moms cannot find time to feed themselves, I
gobble French fries and a nugget while undressing the kid’s table (for some
reason broccolis always find their way to the garbage can), I find time to bake
pancakes in the morning and cookies at night, and I try the dough then the
final product straight out of the oven; I lick the jam spoon or Nutella spreader
before placing one or the other in the dishwasher… Preparing our moving when in the US, and now settling in our new life here certainly reinforced my bad habits.
I doubt that this dear old Joseph (Pilate) would be super
proud having me as an ambassador of his art…
As every good thing eventually comes to an end, I decided to
break the unfit circle. My new life includes 3 essential resolutions:
1-get the carbs under control, 2- stop eating anything that
was not prepared by myself, 3-keep my body going (while not seated on a chair,
rolling).
And that brings me to the point of this post. People think
that as a Pilates instructor, I can solve all my weight problems by practicing
on my own.
While Pilates shapes your body, makes it longer, leaner, and
gives you a seriously strong core and a good posture, it is not the best
fitness option for who needs to quickly burn some fat. Pilates help you correct
bad positioning of your body and restore proper alignment of the spine (to a
certain extend!).
To me, it helped readjusting my shoulders, which kept coming
in front of my body instead of forming a nice line on top of my upper body
(think chimp versus ballerina) after so many years of folding toward an assay
tube or a computer screen.
It gave me toned arms, nicely defined and much stronger.
It got rid of my lower back issues, due to years of gymnastic and series of heavy
falls onto the beam that twisted my hips and pelvis, giving me a long leg.
Pilates resolved my knees problems that appeared after the repeated shocks of
French kickboxing. It brings me calm after a long day, and peace of mind in
troubled times. If I was not that flexible to start with, it would be
another bonus point to add to the already long list of benefits of
practicing Pilates. I am looking forward to starting a new pregnancy now that
my core has got so strong, and I think it will make it easier on my body.
For all these reasons, most of the Pilates instructor here in
Australia are also physiotherapists, and use this movement technics as a tool to work around an
injury and reinforce some muscle groups.
But when some (a lot) of my friends and most of my clients talk to me
about getting into Pilates to lose weight, what I think is that they are wrong.
And Pilates instructors who jump on board with that idea are worse, because
they know better.
Pilates does not count calories for you (Myfitnesspal does). It does not tell you when to do the healthy choices. To a certain extend
it can be a cardio workout, especially if you are an experienced student
working out on a piece of equipment such as the reformer, and going at a fast
pace on a choreography that you know well.
But for the average beginner client, Pilates is no cardio. You will be sore, yes. And some exercises can be painful (in a good way, because your muscles are working so much). But don’t expect a spinning class or 1h of intense weight lifting, because you would be disappointed. Pilates work at your body’s level, and sometimes, especially if you took your time to acknowledge that it’s time for you to start exercising and watching your weight, you’re just not there yet. You will have to accept that you are in bad shape, build some strength, awareness and flexibility, then work your way to the highest levels. To some, it will take 2 weeks, to others 2 years. Some will never be able to execute some of the more advanced exercises. But it doesn't matter, because you will progress and feel better in every way.
What Pilates teaches you is that it is fine: being able to move your body at its full potential should be your goal.
So yes, Pilates is good exercise (look at Joe, doesn't he look great?!), and a way to health (kinda
saved my body, and I have plethora of great examples in my 50+ Pilates class to
show it does wonder!), but this is not the faster way to your bikini in size 2.
Try and remember that next time you walk in a studio, and be suspicious when an
instructor is full of promise.
Pilates is your way to a balanced mind and body, and he/she
should be telling you this. Now, stop taking this bus/car and start walking!
And sign up for Pilates as well to walk with grace and balance, and a flat belly!
