Hello all and welcome back to the Cal Palace! The past few days have been spent preparing for the Danny Oates Memorial Road Race taking place in Bedford on Saturday September 25th at 8:30am. Come check it out as I am GUARANTEEING VICTORY (for someone other than me). This is my first road race and I am really looking forward to it. I have been doing a lot of running leading up to the race in addition to my typical weight training and preparing for my upcoming hockey season. With all of this exercise, it has been tough on my body. In an effort to maintain my exercise , get some mental relaxation as well as give my body a good stretch, I have been taking the Les Mills BODYFLOWTM class.
BODYFLOWTM is a mixture of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. It is a relaxing workout that has you perform a variety of stretches and movements that increase muscle strength and flexibility. It is a solid workout that left me sweating and feeling great. I can say that I was delightfully surprised after the workout.
The first time I walked into this class, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated. You hear a lot of different stories about Yoga and Pilates and I really had no idea of what to expect. To add to it, I was the only male in my first class. I was thinking that I was going to look totally stupid. I was wrong. The moves are VERY easy to pick up. The class has a lot of repetition. When you go through it one or two times you pick up the movements and get by for the rest of the class. As I was performing all of the exercises, I was sweating. I could feel my muscles stretching and becoming looser. This was a feeling I really enjoyed. After days and weeks of being tight and sore, it was nice to get a workout and feel this level of comfort.
The moves are a bit awkward at first. Did I look a little silly? Probably. However, I was doing the same moves as everybody else and NOBODY CARES! It wasn’t long before I got the hang of the exercises and I didn’t feel quite as silly. In taking the class, I can say that I am fully capable, along with EVERYBODY ELSE, of taking this type of class. It is not just for women. It does provide a great workout.
I lastly wanted to talk about my favorite part of the class. The last five minutes. This is my favorite not because I know the class is coming to an end, but because it is filled with a meditation exercise that is amazing. You lie down on the floor and relax all of your muscles and meditate. It was unbelievable. It took everything in my power to keep from falling asleep. In times where busy schedules and stress take up a lot of everybody’s energy, it is great to close your eyes and meditate. Even if it is for only five minutes. It left me feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day’s challenges.
I hope this little insert will convince you that taking this class is worth your time. If you had talked to me a couple of months ago and asked me to go to a class like this, I probably would have laughed in your face. Give it a shot. I guarantee you will like it.
Please remember to stop by the summit health + fitness booth at Bedford Day on Saturday September 25th from 10am to 3pm. There will be giveaways and fun for the whole family.
Until next week, have fun and stay active!
Cal
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