If you’ve ever thought about trying a Pilates class, you might have some fears about who will be sweating alongside you. No one wants to be judged by fitness goddesses.
But get past your doubts and you might be surprised by how much you like Pilates. When I walked into Pilates ProWorks‘ new studio in the West Loop, rather than being filled with the scary glamazon types that I assumed would be joining me, there were clients of all shapes and sizes.
Prior to your class, new members to the gym will need to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to sign a waiver to permit you to use the equipment in the studio. Come prepared with water and socks—no shoes are required for the normal Pilates classes.
The classes at ProWorks utilize a Pilates reformer, a machine with adjustable moving parts to isolate each individual muscle as it engages. ProWorks has a specially made type of reformer, dubbed a FitFormer, that is longer and wider than a typical reformer. The FitFormer works to combine both strength training and toning with posturing and lengthening of traditional Pilates movements. Rather than simply pumping iron, the machines use resistance and your own body weight to engage each muscle group individually.
My Pilates Pro class began with light stretches to get warmed up—jumping straight into a workout of this type is a prime opportunity to royally ruin your muscles. Each machine has a set of adjustable straps that your instructor will direct you to use based on how much resistance each activity needs.
My workout progressed from light resistance at the beginning of class to heavy resistance by the end, but the gradual increase for each muscle group allowed me to leave feeling like I had truly worked out every single muscle. The experience lived up to the Pilates ProWorks claim that it’s a “full body” workout.
Though these classes focus more on toning and less on cardio, you’d be entirely wrong to assume your heart wouldn’t also get a workout. The energy it takes to keep your muscles engaged without allowing them to burn out is intense, and you’ll definitely be sweating by the time you’re done. Thankfully, the Pilates ProWorks studio has showers available, stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors—yes, razors—and hair styling tools at your disposal.
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Each class at Pilates ProWorks is $35, though packages are available. If making ProWorks your primary form of working out isn’t in the budget, one class a week can work as a reset for your muscles in addition to your usual workout routine.
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