Strange, But True

OK, I am about to say something I never thought I would say. I love Pilates. I think I have well documented my hatred of exercise, and especially group exercise classes, so I am as shocked as anyone.

A girl at work encouraged me to join them in the lunch time Pilates class that they run every week. I thought it would be a good way to get to know some new people in my building and be social, but by this morning I was wishing I had never agreed to it. The nerves really kicked in… I was literally repeating a mantra to myself all morning: you have a strong capable body, you have a strong capable body, you have a strong capable body, you have a strong capable body…

I had a very unfortunate experience doing yoga at a past job a few years ago when I was bigger, so that played on my mind a lot. You can see how nervous I was from the panicked email I sent to AJ before I went in for the class:

TULLY: Pilates in 15 minutes… great… can’t wait… pray for me. I am shaking from nerves… or cold… not sure. Maybe it’s just because I feel weird wearing a tight singlet top at work. Why do I get myself into these things?

Alas, I did suck it up and attend the class and I enjoyed every second of it. I felt challenged by the moves, but I didn’t ever feel like I couldn’t do anything. I knew I would have struggled with most of the moves if I was still 130 kilos and I would have felt embarrassed by my size and my restricted abilities. NB. This is not to say other people that size or bigger couldn’t do Pilates, I had fitness and confidence issues that held me back.

I feel like if I keep up Pilates it’ll help make my body stronger, more balanced and more coordinated. I must admit that I didn’t have a chance to focus much on the breathing and meditation side of things because I was just trying follow what we were doing, but that is another area I would like to improve on eventually. I’m really looking forward to continuing and (hopefully) getting better as I go.

Email conversation between me and AJ when I got back from Pilates (for the conversation to make sense, you need to know that I am currently obsessed with eating oats):

TULLY: OK, so this is going to be hard to believe, but I actually loved it! I have never found an exercise I enjoy at all, but this was great. It was just toning, stretching exercises and challenging, but I could keep up. Can’t wait for next week! Might be sore tomorrow though!

AJ: Wow, that is very very cool!!!  I am really proud of you!! Could you imagine doing it at 130 kilos?

TULLY: Never, I couldn’t have even done the basic stretches because my body would have been in the way.

AJ: Between the oats and pilates you are a regular “Mari Winsor”!!!

TULLY: Oh no, next thing you know I’ll decide to do a half marathon…

AJ: LOL…I think it’s organic food, then half marathon!!

TULLY: Oh no, sounds like being a health douchebag is going to get expensive…