Callanetics

We all know how much I love exercise so this weekend involved me trying out a new class run by a friend of mine. Callanetics with Sarah Coombes.

Initially I thought this would be a bit bored. I mean I did some research and apparently Callanetics was huge in the 80's. A phenomenon that swept across the nation, set up by a dancer to help those with a smaller range of motion.

The reason I went was to help two people in my life. A friend and my mum. Both suffer from medical conditions that although they would love to do intense exercise like I do, the dance fitness, the yoga, they can't. The idea was that Callanetics would help them to build the muscles up, primarily around sore and affected joints, so the pressure on those joints are reduced and it helps to alleviate pain. The exercise program helps to work the deepest muscles with the tiniest of movements.

I went to the class for others but I went with an open mind. As a fitness individual I always love finding out about new things, new ways to help and I was willing to try.

As the class started I looked around the room and realised I was probably the fittest in the room, no one else looked like they did quite as much exercise as me so I thought I would be fine. I was wrong. Yes, I could do most of the exercises and the more difficult adaptations but goodness me they ached and hurt.

As I worked my arms in tiny movements by pulsing my thumbs together behind my back I realised how much my chest was being worked, realised how much my shoulders and arms ached.

Then when we moved down to the floor and my leg was behind me being pulsed while off the floor my rear was was screaming. Muscles I didn't know existed were crying at me.

So in summary, the class was awesome. Yes there was no music. Yes it was slow. Yes it ached. But it was all I could have hoped it would be. It worked muscles that my other various fitness exercises couldn't get to. It worked them deeply and in ways I wasn't sure could be repeated without going back to a Callanetics class. As a new form of therapy it is perfect and anyone and everyone who I know that could benefit from the class I shall be telling about it.

So if you have a spare hour on a Saturday morning from 10am-11am, happy to pop into Danceworks across the road from Selfridges and to join us for a healthy brunch straight after then come along, try Callanetics!

Ciao for now x