u/Pink_PhD

It’s like the cousin of the “Sunday Scaries”: You have a Level 2.0 booked for the next day (not your first!) and you start psyching yourself out the night before…

I’m about 180 classes in, and I’ve been doing two-three Level 2.0s a week for the past 6 weeks. So far, I seem to be middle of the pack in most of them, which is fine by me. I’m best at planks and bridges but still working on a seamless teaser.

All of my instructors have confirmed I’m doing fine. Yet I always walk in to my 2.0 classes as if I’m gonna get expelled. 😝

I just moved up to Flow 2.0 last month, and I’m loving it so far. But I’m wondering if I’m “cheating myself” by not doing at-home mat work between classes.

I lift heavy 2-3 days a week. When I was in Flow 1.5s, I was going 5-6 times a week, and I felt like I was getting enough practice during class to help me progress.

Now I’m doing three 2.0s a week and one (harder) 1.5 while keeping my strength training the same. With regard to performance, I’m solidly in the middle of the pack in my 2.0s. But there are a few specific moves where I feel less confident: side planks with feet on the foot bar — especially when we plank to pike — and bridges on the mat with feet on the foam roller. I can do these moves; I just feel less steady / sure of myself than I do during other moves.

Is doing these moves in class 3x a week sufficient to get better at them, or should I be practicing on the mat at home? And if so, how often?

I’m trying to balance my love of Pilates with protecting time for strength training…

I just had my first of 6 varicose vein procedures and opinions about post-op protocol differ wildly, so I’d appreciate your thoughts.

I (45F) go to 5-6 intermediate level Pilates classes in a typical week and strength training 3x a week. I weigh 160 and leg press 300-320 pounds, so this is not just beboping around the gym. And my Pilates classes involve planking into pikes and a lot of oblique resistance training and sustained squatting.

Doc said I could return to Pilates 2 days after the phlebectomy I had last Thursday and go back to the gym after 5 days. Meanwhile, the receptionist strongly urged me to wait two weeks to do anything beyond walking. Dr Google seemed to agree more with the receptionist, but there was a good bit of variation about the range.

Unfortunately, I’ve got two more procedures on back-to-back-Thursdays (radiotherapy and sclerotherapy). After that I’m waiting at least a month before we tackle the other leg so that I can get back into some semblance of routine.

I want to be cautious and heal properly, but the notion of missing 4 weeks of exercise makes me nervous. For context, I’ve lost 140 pounds and I ain’t going back down that road.

So far, I’m wearing my support hose as prescribed, walking, and feeling great. I’m leaning toward going to a beginner Pilates this Wednesday (6 days post op) and skipping any squats and leg-extension moves (since one the veins removed was behind my knee). If that goes well, I’d plan for an intermediate Pilates class the following Wednesday then go back to 5x a week 7 days after my last procedure on this leg. I’d do arms only gym work 7 days after the last procedure and go back to full-on gym routine after 14 days.

I go to 5-6 Flow 1.5 classes in a typical week and strength training 3x a week. I just had my first of 6 varicose vein procedures and opinions about post-op protocol differ wildly.

Doc said I could return to Pilates 2 days after the phlebectomy I had last Thursday and go back to the gym after 5 days. Meanwhile, the receptionist strongly urged me to wait two weeks to do anything beyond walking. Dr Google seemed to agree more with the receptionist, but there was a good bit of variation about the range.

Unfortunately, I’ve got two more procedures on back-to-back-Thursdays (radiotherapy and sclerotherapy). After that I’m waiting at least a month before we tackle the other leg so that I can get back into some semblance of routine.

I want to be cautious and heal properly, but the notion of missing 4 weeks of exercise makes me nervous. For context, I’ve lost 140 pounds and I ain’t going back down that road.

So far, I’m wearing my support hose as prescribed, walking, and feeling great. I’m leaning toward going to a 1.0 this Wednesday (6 days post op) and skipping any prancing (since one the veins removed was behind my knee). If that goes well, I’d plan for a 1.5 the following Wednesday then go back to 5x a week 7 days after my last procedure on this leg. I’d do arms only gym work 7 days after the last procedure and go back to full-on gym routine after 14 days.

I’m gonna post this in the varicose veins sub, too, but I’d appreciate the opinion of folks who actually know what Pilates is. ❤️