Well…we all have some fears no matter how old we are. One of my biggest physical fears is being upside down! I still haven’t mastered the headstand and hated somersaults as a kid! However, there are times when we need to chip away at these fears no matter what they are. News to report…I’m chipping away at my fear of being upside down and doing it in Pilates. I’m sure I told you how I love Pilates. It’s helped me so much with my core strength, balance and flexibility and now it’s helping to enjoy being upside down.
This week my Pilates instructor and I worked on the Pilates Cadillac. It’s basically a trapeze table. I do so many different exercises and movements on this fantastic piece of equipment. Anything from hanging planks to pull-ups to stretches. However, the most challenging move for me is being able to pull myself into a ball position while holding onto the upper handrails and flip my leges over my head so they are touching the back frame and then roll myself back around to a standing position. It took me numerous tries to get this right, but with a thoughtful instructor and some determination on my part I finally succeeded. I felt so good afterwards that I can’t wait to get back to the studio to try it again. It worked my core, arms and legs and felt great.
Lesson learned…It’s a terrific feeling to stop being afraid of trying something. Stop listening to the chatter inside your head that is telling you can’t do it. Ignore those thoughts and just do it!
I’ll definitely post this move once I perfect it a bit more. I promise! Now get out there and conquer some of those fears and PLEASE give Pilates a shot!