I Tried Alo Moves for 7 Days — Here’s What Happened
By Christine M.
Between juggling work and staying home with a busy toddler, along with all of life’s other commitments, finding time for myself is a constant struggle. With that said, I’m a better mom and a better person when I make the time to exercise — it allows me to clear my head, regain a bit of energy that sometimes (okay, often!) feels so hard to come by, and be more present throughout the day. Although I already work out a few times per week, I wanted to challenge myself to commit to seven straight days of Alo Moves classes. This may not sound like much, especially to those who are in a great workout groove currently, but when your free time is little to none, showing up day after day is A BIG DEAL.
So, instead of nap time being all about how much work or cleaning I could get done, I set aside the time exclusively for a daily session on Alo Moves. I wanted to really mix up what I did each day to keep things interesting and to continue with the theme of committing to something a little outside my comfort zone. I love using Alo Moves for yoga and meditation classes but have never taken a sound bath or Pilates class before. Here’s a peek into how my week went:
Monday
Style: Yoga
Class: De-Stress the Day with Briohny Smith
After a busy morning and a busier weekend, I was ready for some midday de-stressing. I usually prefer working out at night, but this mid-day break was welcome, even though I struggled to calm my thoughts at the start of the class. By the end, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle the other half of my day. I often feel an afternoon slump and today I just felt the endorphins, so maybe this mid-day break will have to continue. If not, I definitely want to start adding this class to my practice regularly as a nighttime ritual.
Tuesday
Style: HIIT
Class: Quick HIIT with Jacy Cunningham
I started regular high-intensity training about a year and a half ago but lately have not been consistent, so I was really looking forward to Jacy’s class. I love his energy and charisma, and the fact that this class is under 15 minutes means there is really no excuse to not make it happen. Since it’s been a while since I’ve last done HIIT, I found the length of this class perfect — enough to get my blood pumping and ideal for adding on to another more laid-back class.
Wednesday
Style: Strength
Class: Booty Building with Andrea Taylor
OK — this class was a little painful after yesterday’s HIIT class. My legs were definitely sore today, and since this class is totally focused on building strength in your backside, I was a bit shaky on the poses that required more balance. This was a fun and dynamic class and I felt like it really worked a lot of different areas. The end of class was focused on a few core exercises and then ended with some stretching, which made it feel like I snuck in a complete body workout.
Thursday
Style: Meditation
Class: Tune In with Jackie Stewart
I love Jackie’s meditation classes. I find her voice so soothing and she always seems to say exactly what I need to hear. This class was all about cultivating mindfulness in such a way that it becomes a lifestyle and not just something we focus on during quiet moments of meditation. This is something I am personally working on, so I connected deeply with her message. After a couple days of intense workouts, breaking it up with a midweek meditation really kept me motivated while allowing my body to rest and heal.
Friday
Style: Core
Class: Sore to the Core with Ashley Galvin
I’m not big on having to use a lot of props or equipment when I work out, so I was grateful that I needed just a mat for this class. Ashley did not mess around in this class — she went straight into some intense core-building exercises and my abs were on fire pretty much from the get-go. This is actually part of a seven-day series called Core Sculpt, so if I’m feeling brave enough, that may be the next thing I challenge myself to.
Saturday
Style: Pilates
Class: Glutes on Fire with Tela Anderson
I must like to punish myself because I chose a couple of classes with some pretty intimidating names, and Glutes on Fire was not an exaggeration. My glutes were definitely starting to feel fiery by about minute two, and I’m not ashamed to say that. I wasn’t expecting my abs to also feel the burn, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’m still recovering from yesterday’s core work or not. This was my first classical Pilates mat class, and if I can walk tomorrow, I will be back for some more soon!
Sunday
Style: Sound Bath
Class: Full Moon Sound Bath with Avery Whitmore
Consider me a sound bath convert now. I honestly was a bit skeptical before taking this class but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Since I struggle with quieting my inner dialogue, I found the ambient noise to be something I could focus on and it helped me keep distractions at bay. The sounds actually reminded me of a wind chime my parents have hanging on their deck, which made me think of warm summer evenings spent there eating dinner. Whether my mind was truly quiet remains to be told, but I was transported to a happy place — and isn’t that the goal of meditation anyway? To leave feeling better than when you started? I think so.
Post-Challenge Thoughts
I made it! I had a lot of fun making Alo Moves a part of my day, every day for a week. I think the key to sticking to it for me was breaking up the classes by both intensity and variety. A bonus of doing that was feeling like I got in a really complete experience as I truly exercised both body and mind. Since several of the classes I took are between 15-30 minutes, they would make a great supplement to other forms of exercise on the days I need a longer workout, and for the days I’m pressed for time, they’re the perfect amount.
This challenge also reminded me of one of the best things about Alo Moves — the community of users. Even though you’re clocking in your workouts at home, I never felt like I was missing out on a studio experience because I know thousands of other users are moving together with me — logging their workouts, sharing their experiences and photos — from beginners to yoga instructors, and undoubtedly plenty of other tired moms like me, stealing a minute for themselves so they too can pour from a full cup.
Want to try Alo Moves for yourself? Start your free 14-day trial of unlimited yoga, fitness, and meditation classes here.