And now for something completely different
Posted on Friday 24th October 2008
To paraphrase the Monty Python sketches.
<WARNING>This is a gym related posting. Disinterested people can tune in for the next installment. Gym buddies, please read on.</WARNING>
Having done the same group classes for some time now I thought it was time to give one of the other LesMills offerings a try. You may remember from a previous posting I mentioned wanting to tone up my core, and one of the suggestions was to try BodyBalance.
Now I always assumed this was a bit of a hippy class designed for women, so was somewhat surprised to be one of 3 blokes there. It was also a completely different pace and format to what I’ve been used to from doing BodyPump and RPM. Those classes are geared around maximum intensity with slogans like “Power”, “Pump It” and “Push Way Beyond Your Limits”. BodyBalance is much slower, less cardio-intensive and allows you time to concentrate on breathing, posture and control.
The tracks contain elements from Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching, Balancing and Meditation. I was not expecting a full 10 minutes of stretching and deep breathing at the end either, after the lip service that is given to stretching in BodyPump. Many of the moves looked simple in theory but really tested my flexibility. Other moves challenged from a balance and co-ordination perspective. Fortunately I’ve been doing a fair bit of Yoga over the past few days on our new Wii. This meant I knew how to do some of the yogic poses, so didn’t find them quite as complicated as a complete novice would normally.
The acid test will be whether I go again. At this stage I’m not sure what decision I’ll make on my next free Friday, but if we get fully engrossed into Yoga on the Wii, then this class will make a good complement.
balance is great, but then i am biased as i teach it! more men short give it a go, well done rick.
And you used to just smile and nod when I talked about how intense body balance can be! Sheesh, keeping the core intact and strong is way harder than bi-s, tri-s, gutes, pecs and quads! I dare you to keep it up with as much gusto as you give pump dear doctor – you have an advantage coz you havent housed and evicted any ankle biters in your belly. So work on your pelvic floor while you work out on the floor. Ciao from FNQ – where the choppers roam free and clear and spray dust all over the cars in the car park.