Sculpt & Tone at Harrisburg's Newest Pilates Studio
Last weekend I had the opportunity to combine two of my passions: fitness & blogging. Together with a group of inspiring local ladies, I attended a blogger event at Sculpt Pilates & Barre, Harrisburg's newest pilates studio.
As a fitness instructor, my weeks typically consist of high intensity workouts such as Cycling, Tabata, Kickboxing, and HIIT classes. However, the former ballerina in me still has a deep appreciation for slowing things down in classes that focus more on lengthening and toning the body. So, when this invite popped up, I was so excited to try out this new pilates studio!
The studio can easily be found on Front Street in Downtown Harrisburg, PA. The location conveniently offers rear parking to avoid the hassle of parking on the street - an instant plus for me! Upon entering the gorgeous new space you can store your belongings in their beautiful seating area, complete with ultra cozy hanging wicker chairs and a super plush rug. From there you are welcomed into the pilates room where several reformers live along with resistance balls, wooden dowels, and several other props that can enhance, as well as intensify your workout.
Adjacent to the pilates room is the barre/ladder room. In addition to the traditional ballet barre, pilates ladders can be found along each wall. These ladders offer a new type of pilates workout that challenges both the body and mind. In addition to these group exercise rooms, Sculpt also offers a private room featuring a full pilates cadillac reformer, which is used exclusively for one on one sessions.
I, along with many of the girls, had never taken pilates on a reformer or ladder, so we were eager to test out both options. For this private event the instructors had us work through a 50 minute circuit that allowed half of our time to be spent on the reformer and half on the ladder. I will note, this option is also available for members during regular sessions.
I found that each workout challenged my body and mind in it's own unique way. While the reformer allowed for flowing movements that lengthened and stretched my body, the ladder required more strength and pulsing movements that quickly raised my heart rate. While members can choose between 50 minutes on the reformer or 50 minutes on the ladder, I would highly recommend the combination of both to create a perfectly balanced pilates workout*.
*Sculpt Pilates & Barre also offers other mixed class options such as pilates mat/barre.
In addition to providing a challenging workout, instructors Beth, Cari, and Jessi are incredibly sweet to work with, as well as passionate in what they do. They make you feel comfortable and confident during your workout while also ensuring you understand each new move that is introduced. While pilates may seem intimidating at first glance, Sculpt's instructors are there to guide you every step of the way from setting up your reformer or ladder to helping you maintain proper form and function.
By the end of the session, I was already thinking of how much I wanted to return! The girls and I who attended had an amazing time chatting, laughing, and feeling the burn together. Thank you Sculpt Pilates & Barre for inviting me to this fabulous event. I will absolutely be returning!
For more information on class options, schedules, and pricing, I invite you to visit their website sculptpilatesandbarre.com. You can also follow them on Instagram @sculptpilatesandbarre.