Commentary:Airman takes on gym: Yoga/Pilates

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kelsey Waters
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing
RAF MILLDENHALL, England --  I love yoga. Yoga is probably one of the only forms of exercise I enjoy besides swimming. For me it relaxes the mind and strengthens the body and when I'm done I always feel like freshly-kneaded bread.

This week I decided to take the Yoga/Pilates class at the Hardstand Fitness Center. The class concentrated on our arms and legs.

The workouts look simple when the instructor demonstrates them. Then we attempted them and my shoulders and inner thighs were on fire. The exercises seemed incredibly easy until it came time for me to balance my whole lower body on an exercise ball.

I'm a klutz and I have no sense of balance whatsoever. I can barely walk around base without tripping over my own feet, or narrowly missing walking into a pole, for that matter. So for me the added equipment used in Pilates, like exercise balls, threw me for a loop.

The ball was slippery but I put my feet on it and held my lower body in a half bridge. I wobbled, but I stayed up. It was hard. I immediately felt the burn, but it was a good burn.

The instructor then told us to begin marching in-place on the ball. I honestly thought I was going to fall and break my neck. The movement itself was hard, but what made it truly difficult was the amount of multi-tasking I had to do.

I had to keep my abs tight while keeping my lower body off the floor. While this was going on I had to concentrate keeping my balance on an exercise ball and switching from one foot to the other.
All of the exercises ended with stretches. At the end of the class we did some yoga poses and relaxed on the floor, while soothing music played in the background.

The class was nice. My muscles definitely let me know I worked out the day after-- always a good sign. This class is definitely going to remain in my repertoire.

But, I still have many slots to fill. There are many more classes at the gym and I'm excited for the next one I to take. Hopefully, I'll fall in love with that.