Pilates develops lean, toned physiques better suited to feats of flexibility than crushing rocks to make homemade sand for indoor luaus. Show off without the mess with today’s Groupon: for $39, you get five Pilates group reformer classes at InTone Pilates in Brooklyn (a $165 value).
InTone Pilates molds students into Spandex-flaunting shape with a team of savvy instructors and Balanced Body equipment designed for full-body conditioning. The weekly schedule includes classes throughout the day and about 50 per week, boasting sessions to open joints and firm up limbs. Reformer classes target core muscle groups with a 55-minute exercise routine that sculpts the body without adding bulk or requiring a Gatorade transfusion. Groups of up to six students tone abs, thighs, and arms with the help of the reformers and maintain focus by emphasizing meticulously controlled movements. Instructors tailor the classes to each group’s abilities and outfit students with complimentary towels, water, and stock-portfolio-diversification advice.
InTone Pilates
Sunlight spills through the windows of InTone Pilates, pushing through lush plants to warm students' muscles as they bend and stretch. Here, instructors teach fitness as a means to transform the body, mind, and spirit, stressing the value of relaxation as much as exertion. Each instructor designs one-on-one workouts and small-group routines, tailoring isometric exercises to participants’ needs as they demonstrate how to use specialized equipment such as Pilates Reformers, towers, and trapezes. During classes, the teachers walk their pupils through efficient, low-impact moves to target the abs and back, helping students build enough strength and balance to bench-press a hippo while walking a tightrope.