It's no secret the world has gone Meghan crazy in recent months. Thanks to a whole host of titbits you can get your own little slice of the princess life and since she revealed last year that she's a fan of a certain style of megaformer pilates, it's been the workout on everyone's lips.
Essentially a version of the classic reformer on steroids, the megaformer is bigger, better, with more pulleys, more springs, more resistance and ergo more of a workout; it effectively combines core, endurance, cardio, balance, strength and flexibility in one go. Studio Lagree - one particular outpost of said workout - might have been in London for a while, but recently opened the doors to a state of the art studio in the new Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch.
Part of the new Spa & Wellbeing centre, it offers small classes in a studio lit more akin to a nightclub than a gym class, which is no bad thing if - like me - you're not a huge fan of bright lights during a red-faced sweaty workout...
Being a fan of reformer pilates I jumped at the chance to give it a go. I'm not going to lie, I was somewhat apprehensive given my distinct lack of general fitness, but chatting to some other regulars in the changing rooms beforehand I was reassured that the instructor was brilliant and encouraging. So far, so good.
The workout itself is tough, challenging but satisfying. It's fast-paced - prepare to sweat - but with a buzzing soundtrack and a teacher who's galvanising you to push yourself one tiny, little bit more with each rep, it actually wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. I actually ended up quite enjoying it, hard as it was to keep up, and felt inspired to go back and try it again.
I mean, I'm still yet to acquire the Hollywood bod, but it's obviously after just a few classes that I feel stronger, my squats are a little lower, my plank held for a few seconds longer. In time I might even turn into a lean mean fitness machine. I'll let you know if I bag my prince.
www.studiolagree.com/uk
