Do you Hate the Gym? by Beth Montanez

You don’t often hear someone going around shouting about how wonderful they felt after a grueling, sweating, heart pounding 45 minutes of physical torture. Yet, those "no pain, no gain" workouts are the most widely sought out and performed exercise of any. Let me clarify that "widely sought out exercise," in perspective means that the majority of the 50% of our population that are less than sedentary seek gym memberships, group fitness and weight training compared to a mere 15% that choose Pilates. The lack of joy relating to exercise helps to make sense of the fact that only 20% of paid gym memberships get used, but why aren't more people doing Pilates when it gets the most rave reviews of any form of exercise I've ever witnessed.

These notions confound me. On one hand there is an amazingly powerful workout that can change your body and leave you feeling wonderful. On the other hand is a room full of sweaty bodies and machines and heavy weights that leave you aching and struggling to move normally for a few days afterward. Everyone who I’ve even known who has done Pilates wants nothing more than to do it more often, clients show up consistently and continually for years to their pilates lessons or classes. I've heard countless complaints about going to the gym, (of course there are people who love it, don't want to over generalize) and the statistics show that only 80% of the people who've paid DON'T even bother showing up. I can think of much better things to do with my money.

There are two answers to this conundrum. One is that we get real with ourselves and accept what we are actually going to commit to instead of forcing ourselves into a routine that doesn’t fit our needs, wants, and lifestyle. If you hate being in pain, why force yourself to make pain a major part of your healthy lifestyle. That seems to contradict itself anyway. If you know you won't get up and go to the gym on your own, or won't stop after work when you're already tired, stop paying for the membership.

Second, Pilates needs to overcome some of the stigma associated with it.

One is the pricetag. I discuss the pricetag carefully, as a business owner, but as a consumer and a member of the world at large, I know it is an issue for many. In one respect I think gyms create a false concept of how much it costs to maintain our health. They make their money off of sheer numbers, not off actual bodies. They don’t have to staff the facility with knowledgeable people that help you reach your goals, you’ve signed up to do it yourself. If that is for you, great, but as I said earlier, it doesn’t work for 80% of people who pay for memberships. A pilates studio expenses related to wages and equipment are astronomical, and there aren’t a lot of great options to reduce them. This is the main focus of my long term goals, to allow more people to experience the amazing benefits of pilates.

Pilates is also ripe with misperceptions. Some think it is stretching. Some think it is for women. Some think it is for dancers. Many think it is just like yoga. While it is all of these things, it is not exclusively any one of these things. Pilates is a strength building workout, put simply. You will strengthen every single muscle in your body, and with a skilled instructor you will strengthen them in such a balanced way that everything begins to ache less and you feel better all over. Any specific issues related to work, or your daily patterns can be combated with pilates, reducing the severity of any chronic movement issues you have. No issues to mention, you can get very strong from head to toe, you can lean and tone your muscles, and have better posture. Experiencing a severe pain or injury, or just other limitations that keep you unable to perform other exercise, Pilates is customized for every single person, so if you are craving some movement but think you can’t do exercise, find a pilates studio. If they are trained instructors they can create a program that will work for your current state.

Lastly, I will say is believe the hype. It really isn’t hype. I see it every day with every single client that steps through my door. They stand taller, hurt less, slim down, tone up, and overall get to enjoy more of their regular activities with less distraction from aches and pains. You will too.

Beth Montanez is a certified instructor teaching Pilates in her West Seattle studio. She is currently studying for her Master Certification with the McEntire Method in order to offer a qualified national exam teacher training program. www.bepilateswestseattle.com

Here are some of our clients rave reviews, so you can take their word for it!

http://www.bepilateswestseattle.com/testimonials.php
http://www.thumbtack.com/wa/seattle/pilates/pilates-classes-private-services
http://www.yelp.com/biz/be-pilates-seattle-3