#3 - Things I Wish I Knew-sletter

I’ve been going to the gym about four times a week for twenty-plus years. I do a mixture of weights and cardio and am positive it has served me well. I walk up stairs with (relative) ease, take pride in the opening of tight-lidded jars, and contribute well to amateur removalist efforts. (Let me at those whitegoods!) More than that, I have no doubt this regimen has done wonders for my mental health too.

My actual program had never strayed far from the one I was given aged sixteen, when I hoped to put some meat on my bones. It boiled down to a simple 35 minute session targeting my back, shoulders, and chest. Cardio-wise, it has been consistent too, consisting of half an hour on a treadmill, cross-trainer or the rower a couple of times a week. If you’re reading that thinking, what about leg day?! I skipped it… for decades. And so this went from 2000 until 2020, when – out of nowhere - the world went mad for hand sanitiser, and my beloved “body shop” was put out of commission.

SIDE NOTE: there were a few years there, though, where I obsessed over the bench press, believing the mark of the man was how many 20kg plates he pushed. Spoiler Alert: it isn’t.

Living in Melbourne, Australia, the most locked down city in the world, I lost a great many freedoms, which I was largely fine with. However, being stripped of the ability to get a sweat in a mirrored room, with a collection of randoms, was among the most bemoaned.

After a few months traipsing around every square inch of my surrounding five-kilometre radius, an hour at a time, I began to feel like I needed another outlet, both mentally and physically. Then, out of nowhere, one arrived in my lounge!

I was cohabitating with my ex-partner when, uncharacteristically, I walked into the living room to find her on a yoga mat (I had no idea we owned one) mimicking a range of movements from YouTube. On further research, I learned this was a “Boho Beautiful - Intense Mat Pilates” video.

Although I’d never before dabbled, Pilates, and its associated hype was known to me. I had a suspicion it must be effective, but nothing could disrupt me from my well established gym routine… until a global pandemic.

I tuned into the last minutes of this particular practise and was struck by the picturesque backdrop. The serene soundtrack. And the soothing voice of the instructor. This woman moved effortlessly, bent unnaturally, and made the whole thing look smooth and effortless. So I decided to give it a go and it was not what I expected.

When I tell you that I couldn’t keep up for six minutes of this 15 minute video, I’m not exaggerating. Three of those minutes were with form so poor it shouldn’t even count. I’d have retired from Pilates there and then, had it not been such a unique time in history, where options were limited. So, while friends baked bread, family members tackled 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzles, and everyday people took to TikTok to become household names (clears throat), I committed to mastering a few core strengthening exercises.

My body was shocked into action, for it did not see Pilates coming. So much so, within a month, I was lean and could feel muscles pressing out against my skin. Particularly the abdominals who’d been awoken from a lifetime of lying dormant. But the impact went beyond the superficial.

Thanks to years of desk work, and writing movies slouched on the couch in my free time, I’d had neck, back and shoulder pain since my early twenties. I did all the things prescribed by health professionals, as far as keeping active, stretching regularly, and sitting up straight, but nothing made a noticeable difference until I found this video.

In my forty years, the physical and mental benefits of yoga and Pilates have been among the most important discoveries. I wish I’d learned of it sooner, but am happy I started when I did. I hope you experience the benefits I have too.

I have been a Boho Beautiful evangelist ever since. Check out their YouTube channel, which has so many free Pilates, yoga and meditation videos on it. And, for those that want to try the specific fifteen minute video that did wonders for me, give it a go!

It’s worth pointing out, there are many other popular instructors online too, all of which do great work. My partner is particularly fond of Move with Nicole. It’s like there’s two (very lame but limber) rival Pilates gangs in our house, The Boho’s and The Nico’s.

ZP / NpG

If you have feedback or would like to reach out, you can do so at [email protected] – I’d love to hear from you.

Have a great day :)