No pain, all gain

It’s been years since I last saw her. We graduated from the Ateneo University in 1995 and she has since gotten married. Now Mrs. Carmen Jimenez-Ong, I was amazed, albeit, envious of her extremely trim, fit figure when I bumped into her at a common friend’s dinner party a few months ago. Anyone who knows Carmen can attest to the fact that she was never a heavy girl, she would have been considered skinny in college. But there is a significant difference between a "skinny-fatty," (not that Carmen was even remotely fat!) and a "skinny-sexy" (this, Carmen is!). Okay, unlike men, women can openly appreciate another woman’s beauty. Bottom line: "We want that body!"

I remember her to be bursting with life. Seven years later, she still has the same enthusiasm. She introduced me to the awesome world of Pilates. Carmen attributes her new- found fitness, health and serenity to this once well-kept secret among dancers and celebrities called Stott Pilates — a contemporary approach to the original ‘mind-body’ exercise method pioneered by the late German athlete, Joseph Pilates in the early 1900’s, to aid the recuperation of injured soldiers. Moira Stott, a disciple of the original "New York" method by the German pioneer, devoted her life to incorporate modern discoveries about the body into Pilates’ original work. Using the knowledge of human anatomy and postural analysis, the Stott Pilates method programs a set of exercises that not only strengthens but tones the muscles.

It was during her honeymoon in Palisades, California that Carmen first discovered Pilates. She walked into a Pilates studio and was hooked after the first session. She described the experience as "orgasmic". That said, it was not sufficient for Carmen to simply take the classes for herself, she had to acquire certification in order to share this experience with others back home. Sixteen months later, Carmen set-up the B+B Studio, together with Stella Gemperly-Aguila, also a Pilates enthusiast.

Growing a clientele of over 150 men and women, B+B Studio has moved to the Hatch Asia Building at Fort Bonifacio from their original studio in Ecology Village. With seven highly-trained, certified professionals, plus the Pilates machines imported from Toronto, Canada, the 170-square meter B+B Studio caters to anyone between 10 and 100 years old. At the moment, the studio is fully booked and can only accept clients on a wait-list basis, a testament to the method’s growing popularity.

After the "No Pain, No Gain" trend in exercise of the Eighties and early Nineties, such as step-aerobics, tae-bo, kickboxing, etc., a more holistic form of exercise flourished. The idea of working from the inside out, instead the outside in is what makes Pilates different from other forms of exercise. People who have taken Pilates say, "What meditation is to the soul, Pilates is to the body." The training may be intense, working the deep muscles of the body, but the method is completely non-impact, stress- and injury-free, for as long as it is done with properly trained professionals. Furthermore, Pilates offers a thousand forms of exercise, each designed to challenge one’s strengths and strengthen one’s weaknesses.

Other than the physical benefits of Pilates, I can attest to its mental and medical benefits, as well. In my last two sessions, I arrived at the studio with a splitting headache, perhaps due to the blazing summer heat. After an hour-long session with Carmen, I was surprised to realize that my migraine had disappeared. I was not only rejuvenated; I was thrilled to discover a drug-free way of curing my weekly migraine attacks!

I know you are dying to ask, "Does Pilates make you lose weight?" "Yes," if you ask me, but as Carmen carefully points out, losing weight is not the primary objective of this method, it is only a bi-product of stronger muscles that naturally burn fat faster – hence, the weight loss. More importantly, it is a journey towards genuine well-being. Now, what more can one ask for?

* * * 15 "No Pain, All Gain"

Benefits of Pilates:
• Tones and lengthens your muscles
• Increases your strength and flexibility
• Flattens abdominals
• Aligns your posture, so you will feel inches taller
• Increases your stamina
• Enhances mobility and agility
• Improves balance and bi-lateral symmetry
• Heightens athletic performance
• Heightens concentration
• Promotes longevity
• Increases circulation, improves skin complexion
• Complements your existing exercise programs
• Accelerates healing of injuries (alleviates pain and tension)
• Increases bone density, so it prevents/arrests osteoporosis (bone decay)
• Boosts self-esteem

For more information, call B+B Studio @ 8151009 or visit B+B Studio @ 1/F Hatch Asia Building Fort Bonifacio, Manila. Or visit www.stottpilates.com.