Move!
I’ve had a difficult relationship with exercise all my life. I started regular running in secondary school as a way to channel my excess energy, keep my weight in check and combat my rage. Aside from swimming and tennis as school sports I was otherwise wholly uninterested in exercise.
During my 20s I continued running regularly for the same reasons but often I’d force myself, hate it and stop. My mental health would make me extremely sedentary, lethargic, and unmotivated. Then one day I’d wake up (hypomanic) and decided enough of this I’m going to start running again, and beat myself up if I missed a session. This unhealthy relationship with exercise ruled my life. It felt like a necessary punishment, but still a punishment. I picked up yoga in London in 2005 and loved it. But again I’d lose motivation when my mental health got bad. Ongoing cycles of this.
Fast forward to 2018 just 6 months after I gave birth and I couldn’t run due to my boobs feeling too heavy and painful with breastfeeding. But I started to feel the itch to exercise in some way. My pregnancy was sedentary, often I was too tired to do anything — even yoga took it out of me. So after I had Maya I was determined to move my body somehow.
And that’s when I stumbled upon Pilates & Barre with Barressential. This was truly life changing in terms of my relationship with exercise. It no longer felt like a punishment and I gravitated to it because of its technical biomechanical approach to movement. I felt strong. I didn’t lose weight due to unhealthy eating habits but I felt so strong & toned even under the pudge. 3 years and 192 classes later I’m still at it and enjoy the hell out of every class. Never thought I’d see the day!
So why not Blackdog Pilates or Barre? Because unlike these 2 excellent exercise modalities, yoga incorporates philosophy and inward analysis. Something I also desperately need in my daily life.
Eg. after a Pilates/ Barre class I feel energized, rejuvenated & strong as hell. After a yoga class I feel blissful, rejuvenated, & calm as hell. Once I finish a Pilates/Barre class I don’t really think about it afterwards. Yoga kind of stays with me for long after, and I want to actively pursue this effect that it has on me. Still love my P & B though, and I’ll be at 200 classes in a few weeks!
