Back in August, a friend sent me a message – she had just had her first Pilates class with a mutual friend of ours who had just opened a studio, and would I like to come to next week’s class. Somehow, I seemed to think this was a good idea and agreed…before remembering that a) I am incredibly uncoordinated, b) I have exactly zero flexibility and core strength, and c) I haven’t done an exercise class since our eldest was born in 2006.

Somehow, I managed to get through the class without collapsing in a sobbing heap, though it was a close call. With my first class covered as part of an intro deal, I was then committed for another 4 classes, and just like that, apparently pilates became a thing that I now do. I missed last week due to homeschool group being on my regular day, but was back at it this morning.

I only take the Lite class for now, to try and build up some muscle tone and stamina. With the sun shining so beautifully this morning I even decided to walk down for a warm-up, which was less than ideal after a session that not only smashed my arm muscles to the point it hurt to hold a pen when I got home and tried to work, but also got those leg muscles hitting the burn point. Not the most comfortable walk home!

Despite the discomfort that comes with discovering muscles I’d forgotten I even had, I am really enjoying the weekly class. It feels good to move and stretch, and having a class booked in to attend gives me a lot less leeway to let myself skip a day…then another, then another… And like all things, the doing begets more doing, and I have more motivation to find time to exercise on my own in between classes. I am very much looking forward to the longer evenings that come with the start of daylight savings which will allow me to head out on a run after the mister gets home from work, or take a bushwalk with everyone out at the farm when we go out to water and pick the veggies.

Until then, however, I can indulge my poor sore limbs with a soak in some epsom salts and ponder on my choices in friends and why I seem to have more than one who perversely enjoy seeing me suffer so!