Of course, occasionally, I throw them aside in favor of going barefoot for yoga, swimming, or (after last week!) CoreFusion. But otherwise, they are always with me for breaking a sweat…. Until now. Enter The Stiletto!
Yes, I wore these bad boys for a new workout I tried called (wait for it....) “The Stiletto Workout”!
Lemmie tell ya, I participated in this 45 minute class Saturday afternoon and not only am I feeling it majorly right now but I felt the burn as soon as I took the elevator down from the class loft! That usually doesn’t happen so quickly and I have to say, I rather liked it.
A modern studio in Chelsea houses NDG Wellness which is where classes are held. It is large, well-lit and decorated with a feminine touch. In my class, there were five of us- two newbies (one being me) and three others who had taken the class before. The heels pictured are the ones I wore (because, after impulsively buying them in a Carrie Bradshaw moment, I can find no other place to wear them but I still can’t bear to throw them out) Another woman wore clear, platform stilettos ( aka “stripper heels”) and the other three wore closed-toe heels with backs on them. Our fabulous instructor, Nicole, specifically warned me to be careful of where I placed my weight on my heels during the workout (ball of the foot- good versus the heel of foot- bad) because my strappy heels offered no support. She also warned stripper heel lady to be sure not to bear her weight on the outside of her shoes as she would probably fall and bust her ass (or worse… break her ankle).
The workout itself was pretty basic aerobics: lots of squats, controlled kicks, balancing poses, and the use of free weights for some added oomph. The kicker, of course, is that you’re doing all of this in really high frickin’ heels! This makes the balance and a focus on the core infinitely more important!
Nicole was great and got us started at 3 o’clock sharp. I originally wondered why the class was 45 minutes rather than a full hour but based on the rate of my heartbeat and amount of sweat I was producing, I think I “get it” now. I could probably go for the extra 15 minutes but I was not begging to, that’s for sure!
Bottom line time.
Would I do it again?
Yep. I already have plans to return.
Just for kicks, let’s go with the Cons first this time. Hmmmm, let me think…. I suppose the only thing I’d prefer to be different would be the amount of stretching we did, particularly at the end of the class. You KNOW how it is to wear stilettos for any extended period of time and I think it’d be helpful and healthy to take an extra five or so at the end of the class for everyone to remove their shoes and stretch their calves and lower back muscles. Of course, you can do this on your own as well but most group classes incorporate a little more time for stretching together, to instill good habits and prevent hurting yourself. And… that’s it. No other negatives.
Moving on to the Pros: Finally, price is something to celebrate! NDG Wellness offers spectacular package deals and, better than that, they do so often! I still have four more classes in my package (of which each class was only five bucks!) Not only do they offer these deals via group couponing sites but they have extremely competitive weekly and monthly package rates. Perhaps I’m jumping the gun here, having taken only one class so far, but if all the classes are as good as that one, I’ll definitely be investing more of my dollah dollah bills, ya’ll.
Besides the price, two other things stood out to me. The music. Oh man- it was like being at a party! Not just the electronica stuff instructors typically play in fast-paced classes but the stuff Smantha Ronson and DJ Khaled are probably spinning somewhere right now which added, I think, to the second thing I noticed about the class: the sense of dancing with your girlfriends rather than suffering through another workout in pain. When one of us had trouble holding a pose and fell out of it awkwardly or when someone else couldn’t quiiiiiite find the beat, we laughed and had a good time about it- no feeling uncomfortable or being self-conscious here! I seriously credit the music (and Nicole, of course!) for setting the feel good vibe.
This is the first time I’ve ever really heard of a “Stiletto Workout” being offered (other than the Pole Dancing courses that have cropped up around the world). Actually, NDG Wellness does offer those types of classes as well (and will I be partaking in them? You betcha!) but I’m glad I took this class before the others because it focused solely on the basics rather than attempting to get fancy with tricks and all.
So check out your local listings for any “pole dancing 101” classes as I’m sure they offer a similar “Stiletto Workout”.
And if you’re ever in NYC, you’re coming with me to work up a sweat with Nicole at NDG Wellness!
And if you’re ever in NYC, you’re coming with me to work up a sweat with Nicole at NDG Wellness!
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