Meet Magda.
She’s seen us at our worst. Tired, sweaty, emotional. I’ve sworn (very) loudly in her face. She’s even touched my foot after she told me they “smell like poo.” She is one of the greatest, most honest humans and my life is way better now she’s part of it.
Ten weeks ago I started reformer pilates. To be honest, I booked one session at Club Rhythm just because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. But within 5 minutes of meeting Magda, she’d spoken to my soul and somehow flicked a switch in my brain that I’d been trying to find for the last seven years.
In my 20s I was a gym junkie… I was that girl, who twice a day went to two different gyms to run my little heart out on the treadmill.
But now, I’m in my 30s, with two little bubbas and two jobs — I just cannot. Be. F*cked. Exercise is at the bottom on my ‘to-do’ list — after day-naps, plucking out random face hairs and watching Handmaid’s Tale.
In saying that however — I DO miss being strong, fit and feeling confident.
I used to be all those things but now my body is tired and although I’m not overweight, I was starting to feel “skinny-fat”. You know those people who are thin but have no tone? I was losing my strength. I felt like I looked like a new born giraffe trying to stand up on her weak legs. I’d lost my confidence.
After one reformer class, I was hooked. Over the last ten weeks, my Adelady crew of Lauren, Millie, Em and myself have arrived in various stages of meltdowns, half asleep, stressed about work, stressed about relationships — but by the end of every class, we have left pissing ourselves with laughter and feeling ALIVE! That’s what Magda has done for us, mentally.
Physically, is another story…
We now begin each class at the “bar”, where she serves us shots (of fresh lemon and hot tea) and we chat about Handmaid’s Tale and laugh. Then we work our bums off for 45 minutes.
The thing I love about reformer pilates is that most of the time, you’re lying down — so while half your body is in this amazing relaxed state, the other half is pumping iron. It’s nothing like running or doing huge amounts of cardio — it’s manageable, but still pushes you and challenges your strength. Magda is so in-tune with the body that she can help you manage injuries you may have been living with for years. So if you’re nursing a sore back or have shoulder pain, she’ll help you to strengthen those areas again.
Now, us Adeladies are always putting ourselves down, but today, I’m going to give myself a little credit (without getting cocky).
I can now look down at myself in the shower and see that my legs have shape again, they look stronger! I can actually see (slight) muscle definition too.
And if you squint really hard and have a few vodka-sodas, my bum is slowly resembling a peach and rather than heading south, it’s definitely looking in a more upward direction these days.
Ten weeks on and on the days I don’t have pilates I miss it. I miss Magda. If you want to feel how we feel, start today and book a class, here!
I still can’t touch my toes, but I’m working on it. I’ll get back to you in another ten weeks.
Hayley xx
