Janiqueel tries the unique fitness options in the Absolute You studio.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
– Gandhi
Born in Thailand and recently raised in Singapore, ABSOLUTE YOU touts itself as something new and unique in the exercise market. I have used the studio at Peranakan Place on Orchard Road a couple times, and I love it. The sessions are designed to work the whole body in an environment of community fun. “Orchestrated to the beat of heart-pumping, upbeat music, expertly designed sequences and motivating instructors, classes are illuminated with lights, designed to create a truly immersive and empowering experience for riders to take charge and reignite themselves,” said Wathone Oo, Marketing & Communications Manager.
WOW! The experience is a bit like club dancing, without the booze and schmooze. Thumping music, flashing lights, the company of energetic exercisers, all contribute to the experience. Music is the key to what Absolute You calls NEW YORK STYLE RHYTHMIC CYCLING. The sessions are choreographed to start at medium speed and work up to something like high-energy dancing. 11 songs comprise each 45-minute session. “Workin’ it,” said my inner mantra. “Workin’ it!” Afterward, as I stepped off my faithful mechanical steed, I knew I had, indeed, been “Workin’ it!” I felt strong, tight, well-rewarded for my time spent. Yes, I went back for more eager to meet new friends and reconnect with the friendly trainers. Speaking of trainers, it was my good fortune to meet and train with special guest from the Bangkok studio, South African, Chrisna
Snyman. “Let’s build wellness rather than treating disease,” proclaims her Instagram site. She personifies what Absolute You is all about.
The trainers are on-deck, as well, for the other tone in Absolute You’s palette – Pilates Reformer. “Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance,
and coordination without adding muscle bulk. In addition, Pilates increases circulation and helps to sculpt the body and strengthen the body’s ‘core’ or ‘powerhouse’”. Like Rhythmic Cycling, Pilates Reformer is designed to tone the body and increase endurancewhile burning calories. Laarni was my trainer here and she was great. Tough, to be sure, but supportive and empowering at the same time. Beyond the introductory Foundation Class that presents the fundamentals of Pilates, the classes are generally 60 minutes each, built around the body area on which one wishes to concentrate – e.g. Abs and Arms, Butt and Thighs, Reformer Blend.
A weekly blend of Pilates Reformer and Rhythmic Cycling is an ideal way to exercise the whole body, make friends, and earn a cold drink and a snack afterward. One day I did both Pilates Reformer and Rhythmic Cycling. Let’s just say it was a challenge. Let’s not say “exhausting,” although that word was in the back of my mind. It was a good kind of physical challenge, though. I felt with a few more days like that, I would hold my own with my more experienced classmates. I did my exercising at Peranakan Place. “It’s flagship studio in Singapore, boasts a 6,000 square feet studio … on the prime belt of Orchard Road.”
Wathone Oo recommends cycling and pilates, two or three times a week each. If you have the time, go for it. For a busy professional parent like myself, though, I’d realistically strive for three or four sessions total a week, blending the two options. Yoga and mat pilates are soon to added to the Absolute You mix giving further dimension to overall fitness.
Book your classes here: https://absoluteyousingapore.com/
