Answering a Question on Pilates

In my previous post, every gym's nightmare asked me this:

Do you use a pilates reformer or is equipmentless? those reformers scare me. seems like a lot of places i could get stuck in it or ways to hurt myself.

Yes, my trainer has used the equipment on me, as you can read if you scroll down to my post of three weeks ago that features pics of the equipment.

In fact, I remember that I had come across info from Pilates teachers online, and one mentioned that working on machines was better for her obese clients, as getting up and down on the floor is very difficult for many big people. (Including me.)

I have worked on the Cadillac, the Reformer, the Wunda Chair, the Ladder Barrel, and the Springboard. I haven't done any on the floor matwork...yet.

I really like using the Reformer and the Cadillac. Hard, but interesting, different. It's easy to get on and off the Cadillac, which is probably why that's the one she used on me the first week.

It's harder, much harder, to get on/lie down/get up from the Reformer. The actual part where you sit is small, and I'm quite large. Ergo, the difficulty. Plus, it rolls! So if I place my feet incorrectly getting up, I swoosh off. :)

She taught me the right way to get on and off, but size makes it tough no matter.

I've also used the flex band and the magic circle and the squishy ball (between knees to increase the working of the inner thighs.)

I noticed last night how much easier it was to bend down, scrounge in the crispers and lowest shelf of the fridge, and get back up. I feel...more agile.

Today, I did some post-workout shopping at the farmer's market. In the trunk of my car, the limes and lemons had rolled out to the very back of the trunk space in my Chevy Malibu. Now, if any of y'all have a Malibu, you know the trunk is quite deep. A month ago, I would have left the limes/lemons for my hubby (with his long, long arms) to get. But I looked at it, decided I'd give it a go, and got in there, stretched, stretched, and got those fruits. And it felt GOOD to be able to do that~!

Really good.

I hope we don't do floor matwork for quite a while. I want to get stronger and, yes, leaner, so I don't look like an arthritic cow getting up off the floor.

I'm no longer scared of the equipment, clearly.