This month we speak with Beauty Editor and Entrepreneur, Eleanor Pendleton, and her fiance Mathew Wilson about how they used Vive Active reformer pilates to prepare them for their wedding day!
Why did you and Mathew choose Vive Active as your pre-wedding fitness regime?
EP: Mathew and I would consider ourselves fairly active people – we spend a lot of our time at the beach, surfing, swimming and practicing yoga. When we became engaged, we decided to start training together. We wanted to use our wedding as a motivation to not necessarily lose weight but tone up and be even healthier. I had done Reformer Pilates at various studios in Sydney and thought it would be fun to do together. After my first class at Vive Active, where I did a Reformer Essentials class to an epic old school Hip Hop soundtrack, I knew it wasn’t just an intense but a really fun workout that the two of us would both love. We signed up to Vive and have never felt better or stronger!
MW: I’ll admit that at first I thought Reformer Pilates wouldn’t really be my cup of tea. I thought it would be a fairly easy, low intensity workout. Those thoughts quickly evaporated about 10 minutes into my first class at Vive Active when I realised how fast paced and fun it could be. Eleanor and I go to Vive three times a week and every time I walk out of a class feeling absolutely buggered, but great! The best part about Vive is that while a class can be intense, it still caters to all levels of fitness and ability.
Have you done Reformer Pilates before? How is Vive different from other studios?
EP: I have done Reformer Pilates before and have found it to be my favourite form of exercise – alongside yoga. For me, it doesn’t feel like “exercise” – it doesn’t feel like a chore because I enjoy it so much. It shapes, tones and defines whilst encouraging a healthy posture. At Vive, it’s hard not to have fun when you have fantastic instructors and Tupac and Beyonce is playing. In the past, I’ve attended Bondi Elixr and Virgin Active Frenchs Forest which offered Reformer Pilates you would come to expect but what I found so refreshingly different about Vive was the sense of community amongst the owners, instructors and clients; the music and the lighting.
MW: I had never done Reformer Pilates before Vive Active. Typically, I would just surf or lift weights for exercise but I really think the set up at Vive is great for both men and women. I walk out of most classes sweating and feeling accomplished!
You’ve been doing Vive classes for over 2 months now. How do you feel? have you noticed any changes in your body?
EP: Last year was a year where my business took priority – and my health didn’t. Usually, I practice yoga and Reformer Pilates but last year was hard to maintain my exercise routine. I became so busy that I stopped exercising altogether and I lost my fitness quickly. I had been looking for a new and exciting Pilates studio to whip me back into shape when Vive opened. During the first few sessions, I endured a seriously good burn after each class. Now, my fitness has increased and I’m doing 3, sometimes 4, classes a week and I’ve never felt better. I like the 7pm classes because I can go after work and I sleep soundly at night. After a few months, I started noticing changes in my body particularly in my arms and abs – my ab area is usually my hardest area to tone (genetically, my mother and sister are the same) but I’ve noticed a lot more definition, which makes me feel more confident about myself.
MW: I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my balance and stability. I’m a lot more flexible too. Pilates seems to hit all those little stabiliser muscles you can’t normally target through conventional training. As I get older, I’ve definitely put more importance on mobility and I feel like Vive provides a perfect low-impact training program, which people of all ages and levels of fitness can do.
Would you recommend Vive to others?
EP: Yes, definitely! I’ve taken a lot of my girlfriends to their first complimentary class at Vive Active with me and they have all left feeling great afterwards. Vive is unlike any other Pilates studio.
MW: Absolutely. I would definitely recommend it to my mates. The 50 minute classes feel like 5 minutes.
Will we still see you at Vive after your wedding?
EP: Of course. We didn’t just start exercising for our wedding day – we used it as motivation to live a healhier, longer life. We’ll continue training at Vive because it’s fun and we feel fantastic for it!
MW: 100 per cent. I’ve loved going with Eleanor – it’s awesome time spent together.
Huge congratulations to Eleanor and Mathew! If you want to check out their Insta go to @eleanorpendleton and @mjwils