A busy mom’s quest for strength at Pilates gym
As a mom of three curious, creative and energetic kids, it’s easy to feel stretched out on a daily basis—from ensuring that no school activity is missed and everyone (including our dog and bunny) is fed, to keeping up with work deadlines and family gatherings.
So, I confess: Getting in my regular exercise has been tough for the past few years, something I truly felt when I tried a different kind of stretch at the the newly opened flagship branch of OneLife Private Studio at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, the homegrown clinical Pilates gym that applies physical therapy to the personalized programs it crafts for women, depending on their health needs and fitness goals.
My goals were simple: To regain even just a sliver of my former strength—I have never lifted weights, but I could, at least, hold a plank, pre-kids—and improve my muscle tone. These goals are all discussed with your coach, who notes everything down in your personal progress notebook, adding to the hyper-personalized experience that OneLife offers.
You also start with your personal baseline, as your coach will perform an initial assessment of your flexibility, balance and strength levels, and discuss with you the specific areas of development you will need to focus on throughout your program.
Holistic approach
From there, the Pilates workout begins, initially on the mat, and then on OneLife’s state-of-the-art machines. It honestly felt like more than a Pilates workout—it was also stretch therapy, and a lesson in coordination, movement and control, as you navigate the machines following your coach’s instructions. What’s reassuring is all of OneLife’s coaches are also licensed physical therapists, so working out on the machines, while challenging, feels completely safe.
And to complement one’s Pilates workout, OneLife offers two kinds of therapy: the Physio-Led Stretch and Theracupping.
OneLife also calls Physio-Led Therapy “the best stretch ever,” and for good reason: Each stretching session is tailored to you, to address your body’s specific needs. Coaches make use of percussive therapy, or a massage gun, to target the knots or “lamig” in certain focus areas, and then conduct the 20- to 30-minute stretching session designed to help alleviate one’s stiffness and pain and enhance mobility.
The Theracupping is done exclusively at the flagship branch. OneLife’s latest innovative treatment helps one combat common musculoskeletal issues like tension, stiffness and muscle fatigue, and gives immediate relief through the combination of suction, heat and vibration.
“What sets OneLife apart is not just its commitment to fitness but its dedication to empowering women through a holistic approach to health,” says founder Tanya Maria Aguila, who opened the studio in 2013. The BGC flagship is OneLife’s fourth branch.
”Opening our flagship branch in BGC is the culmination of our years of commitment to women’s health. We believe that every woman deserves personalized care, and this flagship location is a physical manifestation of that belief,” Tanya adds. “We’re not just introducing a fitness studio; we’re welcoming women to a transformative experience.”
Transformative, indeed, as my first OneLife session has, in a way, motivated me to rethink my fitness goals and think about how to maintain a regular routine. Will I be able to do a plank again? It might be a stretch, but it’s a goal I look forward to working toward. —CONTRIBUTED INQOneLife Private Studio BGC is at Unit 313, 3/F C2 Building, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Avenue, BGC, Taguig. It’s open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Call tel. +63917-1049157; visit theonelifestudio.com.
