Lagree fitness uses megaformer to boost great low-impact workout

By Tina Shaygan, April 6 2017 —

Lagree — the workout trend favourite of Hollywood celebrities — is now offered in two locations in Calgary.

I recently had a chance to try this new workout at Lagree YYC, where I learned what a quick and intense workout it can be for a student’s busy schedule. Only 45 minutes long, each class provides a low-impact, full-body workout on the megaformer that targets your core, arms and legs while also improving flexibility.

Using a megaformer, each lagree class is composed of slow but tough exercises intended to get deeper into your muscles while lowering chances of injury. This can bring a nice change for those who are used to more traditional, fast-paced exercises — I definitely felt muscles I didn’t even know I had.

Not knowing what to expect, I arrived at the studio early to fill out the forms and make sure I had everything I needed. However, it turns out the only thing you need for lagree classes are toesox — socks with grips on the bottom — and water. The studio offers free towels, which I found extremely helpful as I started dripping sweat minutes into the workout.

Before the class started, the instructor carefully reviewed the positions and what each part of the megaformer — which resembles a medieval torture machine, for those unfamiliar with pilates — is used for. While the megaformer may look complicated, it actually provides a lot of support and resistance for performing otherwise traditional exercises like lunges and planks.

The class started with us doing various forms of planking on the megaformer. As a big fan of exercises like yoga and barre, I am familiar with the “shake” your muscles can get while working out. But it took exactly 15 seconds for the megaformer to literally shake my core.

Tracie Lane, the instructor for my class, says lagree is a low-impact workout for all body types and fitness levels. She said with slow and steady movements, lagree is able to get deeper into the muscles. Her pro-tip for first-timers is taking it slow.

“Just take it easy. It takes at least three classes to wrap your head around the style and go slow,” Lane said.

The next 45 minutes was a tough workout, transitioning from one movement to another. However, I found that the megaformer allowed me to adjust accordingly if something didn’t feel right. Lane also explained each transition in detail, which I found super helpful as I tried to navigate my way through the megaformer.

I found lagree a great stress release, as each movement requires your full concentration and forces you to slow down, not allowing your mind to wander off to the worries of student life.

Lagree YYC offers some great student discounts like Date Night on Wednesdays, which costs $30 for two people and $99 monthly unlimited classes for students over the summer months. Your first class is free, so you can hop in for a new kind of study break to take your mind off school as exam season approaches.