Eleanor joining us via Zoom for our daily class
Eleanor O’Donnell, Our guest blogger, talks us through her experience of ‘Stretch & Flex‘ our daily morning workouts and the benefits she felt through Lockdown and beyond.
Dance has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember yet I have never really given the non-dancing aspects for improving my flexibility, technique etc. much thought; that was before I began Stretch and Flex with MyCharleston. Before I started, I thought that this form of exercise would involve lying passively on a yoga mat and doing the odd tree pose but now I know it is so much more than that!
When Lockdown 1.0 started in England in March 2020, my school started later as it was virtual which meant that I could participate in Stretch and Flex and incorporate it into my morning routine. These morning sessions on ZOOM became an integral part of my routine and gave me so much joy (which they still do to this very day).
Even though, as a nation, England does seem to be slowly emerging out of Lockdown 3.0, being a part of the Stretch and Flex community is still one of my favourite things to be a part of and they still remain the highlight of my day.
The first reason why I love participating in Stretch and Flex is the fact that my day begins with an element of socialisation which, along with an awesome selection of tunes, increases my motivation. Like many other individuals, motivation for me is never a factor that remains at a constant peak so being able to work out with other people really increases my motivation to do better and therefore gain further improvement. I also feel that these sessions provide me with a sense of purpose which really helps with regards to motivation too!
Another reason why I love participating in Stretch and Flex is because, unlike a monotonous fitness DVD, I am provided with the opportunity to improve my flexibility in a fun environment and work towards my long term goal of achieving the splits!
Eleanor and Fiona at Brighton Spiegeltent 2021.
Furthermore, as a female, I personally feel that mainstream media heavily focuses on the fitness and athletic abilities of men and, to some extent, uphold total disregard for female athleticism (unless the sportswear worn causes controversy due to the misogyny that is deeply ingrained within the sporting community). However, I do not feel this is the case when participating in Stretch and Flex because the overall aim of the sessions is to uphold an inclusive environment and empower all participants, however they identify, to push themselves to achieve their own personal goals with regards to their fitness and flexibility.
In addition to the reasons stated above, having the opportunity to build up a rapport with the class teacher and the other participants within the group heightens the sense of community which therefore boosts my mood, sense of morale and has an overall positive influence on my mental health which also improves body confidence- which can only be a good thing! Moreover, despite the fact that Stretch and Flex is an adult class and I joined when I was a teen- I never felt out of place due to the great relationships that have been formed.
In all, joining MyCharleston's Stretch and Flex has been one of the greatest decisions that I made over Lockdown and if you ever get the opportunity to join, then do it because I promise you, you will not regret it!
Thank you Elena and Fiona!
By Eleanor O’Donnell
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