Pilates Still Sucks

My best friend (the one on the fitness kick who makes me feel ashamed of my hungover binge-eating marathons) is really into Pilates. I remember Pilates from my first foray into group fitness... and it sucked. Despite these vivid memories, I went to Clay Grant's SILER-Centric Pilates class this morning.

You know what? Pilates still sucks, but only because it takes so much work. You can't use momentum or brute force to make it through the moves; you have to use your individual muscles and be aware of your movements. I love brute force. I hate attention to detail.

I'm so glad I went to this class though, because it was a lot of fun.  Apparently the regulars have a running joke about their ages in comparison to Clay's. Clay orders everyone about, and they all rag on him. Clay was away last week and some "West Coast Instructor" subbed the class. An hour of kum ba yah and papaya juice drinking really traumatized the bunch, and they were happy to have Clay back to yell at them. I might not be on the inside of this joke, but I did spend a good portion of my morning laughing on my mat.

Pilates is a full-body exercise meant to use all aspects of your body, not just your abdominals. This is why the class sucks so much if you're not used to doing it. I carry a ton of tension in my neck, (probably from grinding my teeth wishing for cigarettes, child-free classrooms, and the end of Americal Idol), and perhaps more Pilates in my life might help me to align my back. We'll see.