Thursday is my favorite morning.

Even though I have to get up at 6am, Thursday is my favorite morning.
For about 10 weeks now, I've been getting Pilates training at Harmony Studios. Even though I try to get up most other mornings to workout at 6am too, Thursdays I don't hit snooze, I don't have to get pushed out of bed, and I'm actually happy to hear my alarm. Well, as happy as you can be, getting up before the sun.

I was matched up with my trainer Kristin based on an initial evaluation session - and I think it's a perfect fit! Kristin Anderson is an amazing trainer, and I love that she changes things up every week. Usually we start the session with a non-pilates heart booster - we've done a little boxing, BOZU jumping, cardio with weight machines...it always changes. Today for the first time, it was a more meditative start. I learned how to clean out my chakras. Anyway, once the warm up/intro stuff is done we spend the rest of the time on the reformer or the cadillac, and every once in a while on a mat on the floor (for push ups and plank stuff). It's relaxing and intense at the same time. I never walk away feeling that I did everything easily - there are always new challenges.

Now budget-wise, it's hefty. But this isn't stuff I could ever do on my own. Even with all the mat classes I've taken and pilates DVDs I do at home, this takes it to a whole new level. So it's $68 a session - I know, I know, it's expensive! But with Kristin, I've received tons of other helpful advice for working out on the other days of the week, so I'm getting much more than just an hour's worth of usefulness.
And I have to say - because I've done personal training at gyms before (cough - crunch - cough - 24 hr fitness (the gym is fine but training = disaster) - COUGH), i have gotten way more out of these sessions and feel like there is much more variety to my workout then I ever did with personal trainers at the other gyms. With them, it was useful the first 4 or 5 times but I always felt like I could probably do it all on my own after that initial instruction/boost.

So after working with Kristin at Harmony for 11 weeks now, I feel lots better, my posture is 10x better and I'm getting stronger and more toned every day. Plus, I have a workout I truly look forward to. Now that's something.

p.s. If you want trainers who will just stick to classic Pilates for the whole session - any of the trainers at Harmony will do this too, including Kristin. I just like the vareity.