Fitness Goals

Dessange is becoming this editor’s favourite destination in Bahrain. This month, she continues to explore the fantastic workouts in the health club.

According to my instructor, this kind of exercise is excellent to improve flexibility, strength, and it corrects postural alignment. But it also builds muscle and teaches you how to control your body, all while practising breathing techniques.

Stott is recommended for all types of people, even pregnant ladies and those with special health conditions. When you join the classes, the instructor will conduct a full assessment to understand your needs and prepare a personalised programme. The workout is usually conducted individually or in small groups and the instructor gives her full attention to your movements in the period of 45 minutes to one hour, which is the duration of the class. I have to confess, I didn’t know that this kind of exercise was precisely what I needed. Thank you, Dessange!

My main goal at this point in my life is to tone my body and improve flexibility in the older years to come. And Pilates, in this case Stott Pilates, is the kind of exercise I should keep in my life from now on, together with my running days. Is it painful? Yes! Was I sore the next day? Yes! Was it highly challenging? Yes again. But I guess that’s the reason I feel this kind of workout is ideal for me. I moved muscles I didn’t even know I had; I paid attention to my breathing while stretching and contracting, and I tested my limits. I concluded that this kind of exercise treats your body as a whole.

Everything is connected, and a series of movements is built to wake up every little part of your body to make it function better. It also makes the muscles in crucial areas stronger, fending off uncomfortable sensations such as back pain and stiff shoulders and neck (in my case due to the many hours in front of the computer). The Pilates classes can be done in single encounters or as a package of 10 sessions. Also, if you need extra motivation, you can train in buddy sessions with friends.