I made a vow to myself that I would get fit once I had my baby and I’ve been trying to stay true to my words so when I got an email from the team at Bing Pilates Greenwich to collaborate and try out one of their classes I couldn’t say no. (I’ve also got a exclusive July offer for you below!)
I’ve tried pilates once before when I was at uni and I absolutely loved it! It’s all about strengthening your core muscles, improving posture and stability which are three of the things I really want to achieve from post-pregnancy exercise. I have been looking for local post-natal exercise classes that are affordable and Bing Pilates seemed to fit the bill.
About the classes
The classes are run by the lovely Bingxi Wang. She is a qualified teacher and a director of the Pilates Foundation. Alongside her reputable credentials, she has a background in dance and science which really shows in the way she demonstrates the moves and explains why we do them.
The one-hour sessions are held at the following local venues; Manor House library in Lee where I had my session, the New Haddo Centre in Greenwich and The Bridge in East Greenwich (from September). Bingxi offers a wide range of pilates including general mixed abilty classes, pre-natal classes, mother & baby (post-natal), over 70s pilates, pilates at work and also one-to-one sessions.
My first class
I was booked on the mum & baby pilates class which I was told would be performed on mats. I went along morning class held at Manor House library which was easy to locate but as I was running late that day I took an Uber cab there instead. I arrived early so I explored the Manor House Gardens which was stunning. It’s a wonderful location (I’ve not seen the Greenwich location) and has a nice albeit slightly pricey cafe to grab a quick drink before class. There’s even a play area for children right next to the cafe.
There were four of us mummies including me. I was surprised on how small the class was; I was expecting a much larger group as I know her classes are very popular. Bingxi started off our session with some gentle warm-up exercises then moved us on to the real moves.
We worked on our core muscles and stretching exercises. She then asked each of us what else we wanted to concentrated on and I opted for more core work. As my abs were no longer separated I was allowed to perform mini crunches with my leg lifts. I’m not going to lie… it was a killer! I found it so difficult but weirdly satisfying when I did manage to do it properly. Each of us were at different stages and doing our own exercises which I think was brilliant as I didn’t feel any pressure to go through the moves quickly to keep up with the other mums. Bingxi watched over us individually which made me feel like I had a private one-to-one session instead of a group session. Brilliant! 🙂
Baby Girl was a little fussy but overall pretty good for her first class. Feeding baby (breast or bottle) was encouraged during the session. As I fed my bubba, Bingxi showed me some stretching moves that I could do whilst I was feeding. Our session ended with some more stretch exercises. I was very happy with my first post-pregnancy exercise class and felt so good I went home and slept so well that night! All that stretching was well needed and definitely paid off – probably a little too much as I was a little sore the next day. (I think I did too many reps than I was supposed to!) I’ve already booked my next class – that’s how much I enjoyed it.
A brilliant teacher and a great workout. What’s not to love?
Bingxi is a very gentle and patient teacher. She keeps her classes small (no more than 4-5 students per class) so she can easily dedicate her time and energy to each individual – something you wouldn’t necessarily get in bigger classes. Bing Pilates classes are also reasonably priced and flexible. You can choose to book single classes (£15 -price correct as of 07/07/2016) or save money by booking in blocks of 5 or 10 classes. If you book a block and realise you can’t make it to that session, you can swap it for another day or time – pretty good eh?
Have you tried pilates before?
What do you think of the exercise? Leave your comments below 🙂
| EXCLUSIVE BLOG OFFER |
2 For 1 on your first Pilates class:
Courtesy of Bing Pilates, I have an exclusive blog promo to give to you lovely people. Get 2 tickets for the price of 1 on your first Pilates class which is just £5!
The offer can be redeemed against any pilates class and at any location. All you need to do is simply call or email and quote “Mummy241” upon booking.
For more news, check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Bing-Pilates
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We were given a complimentary introductory pilates class by Bing Pilates. All words, opinions and photos taken by me are my own. The select photos that are not mine have been credited respectively.
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Manny.Wandering | The Wandering Mother Blog 
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