And about that Pilates

I was a Pilates virgin and really didn't know what to expect. In fact I'd done next to no reading up on it which is unlike me. Someone told me it was like gentle yoga which when I was lying on a torture table being prodded by the lovely but sadistic Christopher seemed a slightly inaccurate description.

Okay, I exaggerate. I was having a one-to-one session with a very nice young man who very quickly worked out that I wasn't aligned properly - being in alignment is very big in Pilates - and thus my knees click and other stuff. How to find out you are falling apart. So the session was spent loosening stiff bits, working out what needs work and doing a few seemingly gentle exercises. Three days later and I still ache. I am going back for more torture next Thursday.

Things I liked about it -

• the fact that he kept referring to an anatomical chart to explain my muscles to me - give me science please, none of this energy flow, chakra mallarkey
• the lack of chanting or any mention of dogs or suns and that Christopher flunked yoga at college so clearly feels the same way as me
• that everyone else there was at least as old as me or looked it. Of course this could just mean that Pilates is for older people and thus I am now old but it made me feel slim and fit looking even if my knees do click a bit.

Things I'm not sure I liked -

• the hurting parts
• the torture tables, pulleys and so on. Though they are probably harmless, they don't look it
• finding out that I walk funny, stand funny and am going to fall to pieces imminently. Oh and that my knees click