Working it out

Pilates was first theorised by Joseph Pilates, a German man who lived a life so interesting that I hope it gets made into an Oscar-winning biopic one day. Born in Germany, young Joseph was a sickly child who made it his life’s mission to improve his physical strength. Studying yoga, tai chai, and the movement of animals, he was desperate to change his patterns of movement, which had been affected by his childhood illnesses. During this time, he had stints as an acrobat, a boxer and a self-defence trainer for the British police, before being interned during World War One due to his German citizenship. In prison, he began to develop his own practice of movement he would eventually call Contrology, before moving to America, where it was an instant hit. Today, the practice is no longer called Contrology, but the principles Joseph introduced remain fundamentally unchanged. 

I’m a sucker for any class that emphasises the mind-body connection (Alexander technique, Feldenkrais method, you name it, I’ve done it). With that said, I have never ventured into the world of Reformer pilates, which utlilises a purpose-built machine called a reformer and which was introduced while Joseph was working in a hospital for bedbound patients. As someone who spends an embarrassing amount of time in bed, when Fitzrovia-based pilates studio Volonté invited me for a session, I had no choice but to say yes. 

Walking into Volonté, I was struck by the lovely smells emanating from the cafe, which offers a nice mix of smoothies, healthy snacks and larger meals for a post-workout protein boost. Walking downstairs into the studio, the rows of reformers looked vaguely menacing, but under the guidance of my instructor Anita, I quickly settled into the class. Volonté’s classes are done one-to-one or in small groups, and Anita was fastidious in explaining how to safely use the reformer. I am very tall, so my reformer required some adjustments, but I came to enjoy pushing my heels against the foot bar and using the carriage to slide up and down the machine. You use the reformer in all manner of ways: rowing style motions, guided glute bridges and more familiar exercises like bicep curls, all using the resistance of the machine to tone the muscles.

Anita’s class focused on small, isolated movements: there was none of the dramatic flexing I’ve come to associate with more macho classes. If anything, attempting to isolate just the hip flexor while keeping the core engaged was considerably harder than simply lifting weights. It really is a mind-body practice, and conditioning certain muscle groups required more focus than I was anticipating. Midway through the session, I was sweating – and I thought this would be a light workout!

Still, by the end of the session, my body felt fantastic, with an inner glow I normally associate with a very deep stretching session, or a post-sauna cold plunge. The lovely cafe maître d' got me sorted with a glorious passionfruit smoothie and a salmon rice bowl with pickled ginger. I left feeling energised instead of exhausted, a rarity in my exercise class experience. I would recommend Volonté to anyone who wants an intense workout without the bluster and stress of the gym – it’s perfect for a lunch break or a post-work reset. I'm reformed!

You can book a session at Volonté here.