Pilates for the Inner Woman

Dance-aerobics is for dummies, treadmills are trivial. Real women swear by Pilates. Count, among them, Oprah, Madonna and Jen Aniston.

And the savvy women have signed up for classes at Active Canvas, South Bangalore’s new activity and arts school. At Yellow Barn, their movement studio, our Trendy Tester was put through the paces by instructors from the eponymous dance company set up by London-based ballerina-choreographer Yana Lewis.

Focus, stretch, focus, hold, focus, repeat. Pilates, unlike regular aerobics, depends on the mind to do at least part of the hard work. Many of the stretches resemble yogasanas, but on a more extreme level. Our Trendy Tester found herself concentrating deeply on the body parts being exercised, from the stomach to the hips. The Greco-German inventor of this fitness regimen called this core area — from the tum to the bum — the powerhouse. An hour of intensive stretching left our tester feeling lean, invigorated and wonderfully virtuous.

So go ahead, do the stretch. Sculpt out the goddess within. Maybe she’s Greek.

Active Canvas, 343, 10th A Main, 3rd Cross, 1st block Jayanagar, Bangalore 560011. Telephone: 41609122/9980129768. Classes on Tuesdays (7.30-8.30 pm) and Thursdays (11am- noon). Fees: Rs. 800 a month.