So, I have been manifesting a Pilates studio since I moved to Detroit and it had finally paid off! Hot Bones is opening November 2023! I got to go today as part of their soft opening but, let me tell you, there was nothing "soft" about that class! Muscles I have long forgotten existed will probably be mighty sore tomorrow!
Notes:
Background: Hot Bones is called that because it is hot Pilates, like hot yoga but what I understand is that the heat will be from infrared heaters in the floor and not ambient heat. But they don't have those heaters yet, so I guess they were using ambient heat today cause it felt hot and humid in the studio. Eventually they will have a bone broth bar too.
Parking: I don't think they have parking so give yourself a minute to find parking because, just one class of people could overwhelm the nearby street parking. And once they have the schedule fully booked and the bone broth area open, it could be tight and you may have to park further. Classes start right on time and you may need to grab equipment before, get settled, etc.
Towels: Bring a towel, maybe two. I actually thought about it, then thought "you're not going to be sweaty, it's fine". It was not fine. I would have loved to have had a full length towel to put over my mat because my hands were sweaty and I keep envisioning slipping and cracking my chin on the floor. Ouch! And also a little more cushion because the mattress provided are yoga mats (e.g. thin) not Pilates mats.
Water: bring your big water container. I have two sizes of water cups. I should have brought my bigger one. Once they are fully set up, I imagine they will have a bottle refill station but regardless, you don't want to have to get up in the middle of class
People, feets, and mats, oh my!: Yes, HB provides mats and they are already set out when you enter class. It's a little close so if germs, BO, or patchouli bother you, this might not be the right place for you. However, I smelled no BO and one one patchouli offender but honestly, the possibility of offensive essential oils might be enough to give me pause on getting a full membership. And yes, it's tight. So you may accidentally touch someone's foot. Or they might touch yours. And you are definitely going to see feet, so if that freaks you out, this is not the place for you.
Socks, sportsbras, and such: I did bring my grippy socks in case they were required but luckily, they are not. Because it was too hot for me to wear socks (though some people did). It was even too hot for my shirt. And long workout pants. I kept my pants on though. And I've never been one to go shirtless in a fitness class but half the women were just in their bras so whatever. There were a couple men and their shirts didn't last long either. There was all kinds of bodies represented so no need to feel shy, but I'm glad I had on a pretty bra.
Clothes and shoes: you'll probably struggle to get your clothes and shoes back on after class because of the sweat. My slip-on boots did not want to slip-on again. I would probably wear slides in there next time, even in the winter, because the best feeling was walking out into the brisk winter air after such a hard, sweaty workout.
Class: the class I took today was good and challenging, it was called "Pilates Sculpt". There was music but it was mostly background. I personally prefer a class that's set to music where you are doing moves on the beat and focusing on a set of moves per song. And then you also know how long you have to keep doing leg lifts or donkey kicks if you know how long the song is. The other thing I noticed was there was not any variations given for different fitness levels. In classes I've gone to before, the instructor would give you the medium level then tell you how to dial it down or up. I know how to adjust but it felt like the expectation was that everyone be on that same level of movement which could be intimidating for people less familiar with Pilates.
I will definitely go back and check out other classes when they are fully open and I want to get some bone broth and pretend I'm a fancy bone-broth-drinking-pilate-lady for an hour a week. read more