I am the WORST at doing exercise. If it’s not group sport (what’s up, netball) I will pass. For a while, I was really into barre classes but even those became a chore to a) get to and b) commit to for 45 minutes.
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Basically if it doesn’t involve me getting competitive as all hell, or can be done in under 30 minutes I do not want it. I’ve tried and tried to make myself That Guy who gets excited as shit over workouts but it’s just not me.
In the past I’ve tried the at-home fitness thing, but it’s not worked out. Sometimes this was because the sessions were too long (I told you, I’m lazy!) or because they were really complicated – either bad explanations, or confusing moves I didn’t understand.
I got in touch with Fluidform Pilates when I heard they had begun an at-home version of their famous classes. ICYMI, founder Kirsten King is a bit of a lord in the Aussie pilates world, and has a swathe of famous people who love her classes, from Pip Edwards to Elle Ferguson.
Fluidform At Home is video-led, and your subscription comes with a set of sliders (neat round discs you put your feet on that bloody KILL your thighs/butt/biceps etc), 5 sets of resistance bands, a pilates ball and a demonstration card that helps you form the pilates poses correctly, so you work the right muscles.
The subscription is $49 a month, which is hefty but considering how much pilates classes will cost you a week (my old barre classes were I think around $50 for 3 sessions a week) it’s not a lot.
But – like with all home fitness – the question is will you do it, is it easy, and if so is it effective?
1. Will You Do It
Well, for me the issue was always space and time. Lol, that sounds really dramatic but what I mean is physical space – can I do these workouts in my lounge room, which is not huge, and time – can I fit this into a busy day?
The win for me with Fluidform At Home have been the 15 minute workout “blasts”, which focus on a specific part of the body, eg: abs or butt. I love Pilates for this reason anyway – how different exercises hone in on one muscle or muscle group, narrowing the pain to that area for XX minutes before moving on. I find I can focus and get through the workout when it’s not this all-over nightmare of torture, you know?
They’re also… only 15 minutes. I can find 15 minutes anywhere I need to, whether it’s just before I get going for the day or after work, or before bed. Some days I’ll do two – one in the morning and a different one in the afternoon.
Space-wise, some of these don’t even require a yoga mat. I will say this – if you want to use the sliders, you need a flat, hard surface to do so – like floorboards or smooth cement. They won’t work on carpet, grass, and I would say even on tiles you might struggle.
2. Is It Easy
The videos are easy to follow – ideally you’d put them up on a laptop and follow along that way, but given pilates is generally repeating the same movement with slight changes, it’s not too hard to play one on your phone and just glance over when needed.
The best bit is Kirsten (who leads the sessions on video) will give you tips so you nail the movements and target the correct muscles.
The only thing I missed were the floor-to-ceiling mirrors of a barre or gym class. You have to either have a mirror on hand to monitor your positioning or trust yourself, really.
3. Is It Effective
For me? HELL YES. The following day after my first session, I had the sorest butt, thigh and ab muscles ever – meaning I’d worked them real good. Now, I was pretty weak so I’m not saying you’ll be getting a brutal workout from FluidForm At Home. But the moves work, if you do them properly. Even in 15 minutes.
I think for me the effectiveness is in the longevity – I feel like I can commit to these workout blasts multiple times a week, because it’s not this huge chunk of my free time and the pain has a limited stretch, so I’m less likely to give up.
I’d say my take on home workouts in general is this – find something that you’ll ACTUALLY do, and make sure it works. There’s no point saying you’ll do 45 minute home workouts 3 times a week if you stare at the clock in a 45 minute gym class (like me).
But if half the battle of class fitness is getting there, committing the big chunk of time and then getting home/back to work, home fitness is perfect for you.
If you want more info on FluidForm At Home, here’s the link!
