Times: W 12:10-12:50, M F 1:30-2:15, T R 4:45-5:30, M W 7:00-7:45

What to bring: fitness membership, possibly water

I’ve never taken or seen a Pilates class before so I don’t know how Penn State’s compares, but I enjoyed this class. The focus was mainly on working the core and thighs using slow movements, and there was no cardio to speak of. If this sounds like something that might interest you, read on!

We started the class out by stretching a lot, then focusing on a specific type of slow breath to continue throughout the class. Our first exercise was a plank that we held for about 30 seconds before dropping into push-ups. The so-called Pilates push-up involves keeping your elbows tight to your sides rather than pointing outward so that the work is done more in your triceps. After push-ups, we went on hands and knees and started doing leg lifts to work the glutes and back muscles. These exercises involved raising the leg and pulsing as well as using the inner thigh muscles to touch the lifted leg down across your body. These exercises were challenging, but I found them completely doable. After the leg lifts on hands and knees, we went on our sides and did leg lifts that way. I didn’t expect it to be as difficult as it was, but everyone was moving at their own pace so it was easy to keep moving, just slowly. Then we did a series of ab workouts, including crunches, bicycles, and oblique work, all at a slower pace than usual so the burn was greater. Finally, we ended with another plank.

While I found the class gentle and enjoyable, I’m not sure I’d go to it much in the future. The workout was a good one in the moment, but afterwards I didn’t feel like I really did much. I think other classes had better workouts, though the gentleness of this one was definitely appreciated. I would recommend it if you wanted to try it out, but it’s not my favorite.

This is my last fitness blog of the year, and I’d like to reinforce that even though I hated having to go to a class every week, it was good for me. If you want to work on getting in shape, make it something you can’t get out of, like this blog. I can’t say I got ripped or anything like that, but I got stronger and more active, so I consider this blog a success.