A unique opportunity has come to combine your loves for Pilates, Tai Chi and Yoga in one whole-body-and-mind conditioning class called PITAIYO, now running for the first time at Cobra Fitness.
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Fitness enthusiast and mum, Alex Kelly-Maartens, founded PITAIYO – PI (pilates), TAI (Tai Chi), YO (yoga) = PITAIYO (pro- nounced p’tai-yo) – back in 2006, combining her passion for effective exercise and sport psychology.
It is now a major hit in the US with everyone from the elderly and unable to runners and CrossFitters in search of new and restorative cross training methods, joining the programme.
Here in Abu Dhabi, PITAIYO is being introduced to men and women of all ages and fitness levels by Melanie O’Leary, the capital’s only certified instructor for this fun, structured, deep and dynamic class concept.
Pitaiyo is now in Abudabi! If you are in or near the UAE go check out PITAIYO with Melanie. http://t.co/h9DzCX2S8a
— PITAIYO (@PITAIYO) February 22, 2015
The free taster session saw us harness energies and slowly glide through a few Tai Chi steps to quiet the mind and introduce self-aware- ness, before heading straight into Sun Salutations and some thigh- burning standing and balance- challenging yoga postures.
The routine then seamlessly ended with a few Pilates moves down on the floor that quaked the core; three different disciplines all harmonised effortlessly into a perfectly packed hour and a half that left us feeling super calm yet energised.
PITAIYO classes are accompanied by a mix of gentle music styles and choreographed with room here and there to throw in combo moves – for example, we did Warrior 1 and 2 sequences in the yoga segment that included repetitions of reaching down to touch the floor or lunging while pretending to pull back on an imaginary archer’s bow. Even for a regular yoga practitioner, the burn was significant.
And even when a complete beginner is stumped by it all, there are always variations and modifications to be found in each exercise, which O’Leary was all too happy to show.
“There are four different levels to PITAIYO – what we did today was Level 1 and 2, while level 4 is called Power PITAIYO and even involves the use of free weights and other props… but generally all are accessible. The point of PITAIYO is for these three disciplines to be accessible to everyone,” O’Leary says.
#pitaiyocircuit a great workout pic.twitter.com/5S1N7kx1Hp
— PITAIYO (@PITAIYO) February 11, 2015
“And even if you’re super strong or a hardcore athlete, have done everything – the Marines in the US are training with it by the way – there’s something in PITAIYO for everyone that can improve strength, flexibility, coordination, balance… and most of all, it’s really good fun.”
What is also cool about PITAIYO is that it doesn’t just end when you leave the studio; it seeks to introduce a 24×7 lifestyle of personal balance and the name is also an acronym for a great slogan worth remembering always in everything you do all day – ‘Put It Together All In Your Orbit’.
O’Leary explains the meaning: “I think the idea behind PITAIYO initially was to cater to people that were rushed, who wanted, but didn’t have enough time, to go to individual Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi classes.
“But they’ve made it more of a lifestyle as well with this orbit acronym. Your orbit is basically your environment and your lifestyle so it is all about what you’re putting into your orbit and what you’re taking out of it.
“PITAIYO people follow the idea that ‘you are what you think’, positive thoughts. So, for example, everyone who came to this class today put something very positive into their orbit because they took time out for themselves to be here and work out and they had great fun and left smiling.
PITAIYO welcomes its newest instructor Melanie O’Leary to the fold. If you are in the Abu Dhabi area look her up!… http://t.co/DlE06OhTLj
— PITAIYO (@PITAIYO) October 22, 2014
“It’s even about what you’re do- ing to your body, what foods you’re putting into it; as well as it’s about trying different things – there’s three different disciplines in this one class, for one,” adds O’Leary.
And you’re in no safer hands than hers if you’re feeling a bit fragile or less flexible before trying PITAIYO as O’Leary’s objective in any fitness class is to make participants feel challenged but comfortable.
“When I do go to fitness classes I like to feel comfortable, and sometimes, not singling out any specific classes, you don’t get that. I just like to make people feel as if they can do it, and not feel intimidated by other people or find themselves looking around at what others are doing because it doesn’t matter, not at all.
“It doesn’t matter how far you can get your head down to your knee or how high you can get your leg because everybody’s different. Each week that everyone comes through they’re progressing that little bit more. Just come and try it because it’s fun.”
What: PITAIYO
Where: Cobra Fitness, Al Bandar When: Sundays and Tuesdays at 09:30am
Cost: Dh70 per session
Contact & Info: 02 449 6524 or check for updates on the Cobra Fitness Facebook page
Verdict: It’s a unique combination of some invigorating exercises and receives our thumbs up.
