Strong Body, Strong Mind

Saturday’s Pilates (7/31/10)

This post will be a quickie, just like my work-out was.  I used to be really into Pilates, and my efforts paid off: my belly became stronger and flatter.  In my enthusiasm, I think I may have overdone it because I’m not as excited about Pilates.  Perhaps I just need a new Pilates DVD to reignite my passion?

At any rate, tonight I did part of an old DVD that I used to do quite often: Crunch’s Fat Burning Pilates.  The instructor, Ellen Barrett, is really great—one of my favorites.  The DVD class is split into two parts: a cardio portion with Pilates-inspired techniques mixed into it and an actual Pilates floor routine.  The floor routine is only about 14 minutes long (I timed it tonight), but it feels very thorough to me, covering all the major abdominal muscle groups.  My favorite section includes hip circles and these weird twists you do while sitting, leaning back with your knees bent.  You hold your arms up, sort of like you would if you were driving, and you twist to one side, pulling that side’s arm back as though you were pulling back a bow to fire an arrow.  I like the way that move feels.

The title from today’s post comes from one of my other Pilates videos, in which Denise Austin says, while doing leg lifts or something, “Strong body, strong mind.”  Indeed!