A little over a year ago, when Chris and I moved to Colorado, I had to give up a very beloved form of exercise: The Dailey Method. I had been doing it in the bay area for 4 or 5 months and knew that I had found my thing. Unfortunately, Boulder (where we lived when we first moved to CO) didn't have TDM, but they did have The Bar Method. I figured it couldn't be that different, so I gave it a shot.
{ what is The Dailey Method, you ask? Click here to learn more. }
To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement.
When you look at the "poses" of each class, they are strikingly similiar, but for some reason TBM just didn't click for me the way the Dailey Method had. I found after just a few classes of TDM, that I craved going to class. And for me, that is very rare to find in a form of organized exercise. I prefer letting my hair blow freely in the wind on a hike surrounded by beautiful scenery. Not four walls and 20 other women. But for whatever reason, the Dailey Method spoke to me.
A few months ago, we bought our house nearer to Denver, and I spotted a Groupon for a month of unlimited classes at the newly opened Dailey Method in Denver. It was a bonus that it happens to only be about ten minutes away from my house! Meant to be? I think so.
I enlisted my bestie to try it out with me, as it would be her first time doing TDM, and let me tell you, I forgot how HARD that first class is. No matter how much you work out, the poses you hold in The Dailey Method seem to challenge even the strongest of women. Our first class was a little over a week ago, and when I woke up the next morning, literally every muscle in my body ached. I had a nice long stretch and waited a week to go back for more! This past Saturday I went again, and when I woke up Sunday morning, I craved more. So I went to another class on Sunday.
{ thigh work - a lot harder than it looks! }
The crazy part? I want to go again after work today. After a few classes, you find your muscles remembering the poses, allowing you to move deeper into them, and hold them for longer. And the shaking finally starts to subside while holding said poses. And I already see the results of the fine toning! What other exercise delivers such immediate results??
The down side, is that the classes are quite expensive, when you don't have a groupon, so I am already trying to figure out how to afford more once mine runs out. One thing is for sure, I will find a way to get myself back there for more classes. It's not everyday that I find a form of exercise that I can't possibly get enough of.
If you have a Dailey Method studio near you, and you haven't tried it out, I highly recommend it! Let me know how it goes if you give it a shot! If you don't have a studio nearby, there is a DVD you can get to be able to do it at home. Though this is great if it's your only option, I think going to at least a few classes at the studio first is best. They make sure you are getting the proper "tuck" and "neutral spine" positions, and just that you are generally doing all of the poses correctly. I think I speak for all TDM-ers when I say that they are not quite as easy as they look, but when you get into the correct form, you definitely feel a difference in the pose. Meaning it is usually a lot harder!!
Do you have a form of exercise that you just can't live without? Tell me why in the comments below.
