hello! :) i've been meaning to blog about my fitness/healthy eating regime, but procrastinated terribly! this post shall mark the beginning of a series of few more posts (*i will try my best* since finals are coming...) on this topic which you can follow here, and i can't be more excited to kickstart this with my experience at Upside Motion! :)
i came across Upside Motion in some magazine previously and i was really fascinated by the kind of classes they have at their studio! because i learnt dance previously, i tend to be intrigued by exercises that train strength and flexibility through similar means - yoga and Pilates for example. i always find yoga a little too relaxing though (with the exception of hot yoga which is really awesome!), but i LOVE Pilates (read about my Pilates experience) ^^ at Upside Motion, you'll never get bored ;) their classes are nothing like your standard yoga or Pilates classes. what i was attracted to was their Xtend Barre and Antigravity Aerial classes.
*hello from upside down!*
SERIOUSLY?! yep, i could hardly believe my ears when my instructor asked me to flip upside down in my first class of Antigravity Aerial! :O i was absolutely freaked out!!! i have this fear of hanging upside down (firstly because i get motion sick, secondly because I'm terrified that i'll crash head first to the floor). i didn't dare to let go of the hammock at all!! held on to it as if my life depended on it (which seems perfectly legit right?!) my instructor had to come along and pry my hands off :P i felt a teeny bit more secure with her supporting me, while i lifted half a finger off my grip, then a whole finger, and one hand, then the other. and oh my mama, i was hanging with nothing but the hammock supporting me!
after a minute of quivering though, i started to feel the immense liberation of hanging upside down. all the blood rushed to my head. but i just closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of my mind being blank. it was incredible. i started to enjoy it. especially as more lessons went by and i trusted that the hammock would hold me securely, it was an amazing feeling.
i learned to fly! (this photo was taken pre-flying)
and i did crazy stunts! i looked forward to every single lesson of Antigravity Aerial because we tried new things each time, with increasing level of toughness, but it was empowering to find that i could do these stunts! of course i wasn't good at all of them, but the strength-training was really good.
Antigravity Aerial is a great exercise for a low-impact, full-body workout that stretches, strengthens and works the core muscles without placing unnecessary pressure on the spine and joints. all these upside down actions are especially good for people with stiff backs because it really helps to lengthen the spine and releases the tension in the neck and spine. have i mentioned how it's really therapeutic as well? ;) - my favourite part of each class was at the end, when we would cocoon ourselves in the comfy satin hammock. it's such a lovely, warm, enveloping feeling and i could totally fall asleep in it! haha. and it's absolutely safe. every successful move gave me more confidence in the strength of the hammock, and it really pushed my boundaries in overcoming my unfounded fears :)
Xtend Barre was a whole different feat. it was TOUGH. no doubt about that. but i loved every single bit of it.
ever wondered how ballet dancers have such toned, taut bodies? i found out the tough way in Xtend Barre :P but it's an incredible exercise! I just saw the funniest quote the other day:
You aren't going to get the butt you want by sitting on the one you have
haha! it's so true!!! if you want the toned, chiseled physique of a dancer, you've gotta work for it! and literally, in that one week of classes (i attended them quite regularly), i already felt a difference in my body. plus all the other exercises that i've been doing (which i'll blog about soon!), it's really been helping me a lot in strengthening and toning my body :)
using various equipment such as small weights, a bouncy ball, yoga strap, resistance band, and the barre of course, Xtend Barre sculpts the body through a combination of isometric exercises and orthopaedic stretches to tone hard-to-reach muscles (some of which you never knew existed). my thighs, glutes and calves screamed for mercy (gosh how could such simple-looking exercises be so tough??!!!!) but i tried my best to press on. that's really the whole spirit of exercising! never ever give up! even if its tough, just work to your maximum and take a break. you'll get better each time ^^ taking this bunch of photos was a crazy test for my muscles which were already shagged out from the class before that (so i put in a lot of effort to smile ok...haha), but the extra exercise gave me an additional boost of fulfilment ;)
for girls who've always wanted more toned legs, arms, butt and abs, Xtend Barre is the perfect exercise to achieve the lithe silhouette of a dance without building unnecessary bulk.
i really enjoyed all my classes at Upside Motion and i strongly encourage you to try them out too! :)) plus, it's SO NEAR school (for those in SMU) - a less than 5 minute walk away, which makes it super convenient ;) do try it out and check out their website and Facebook for more information! ^^
City Hall
36 Armenian Street #02-03
Tel.: +65 6636 6859
Bukit Timah
100 Turf Club Road Horsecity #01-02L/X
Tel.: +65 6465 1559
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