MOTR at bePilates: Improve your balance with the challenging new foam roller workout

What’s the buzz? MOTR is a core and toning class that’s a little bit Pilates, a little bit aerobic conditioning and a lot of foam roller. In fact, the foam roller takes centre stage during this hour-long class.

You hold the roller upright, you lift it and you even walk on it to improve your balance. Unfortunately I have the balance of a cheese sandwich but weirdly I particularly enjoyed walking on the roller. It felt like a safer way to test out my balance than on the high reformer machines you usually see in a Pilates class.

bePilates is the only studio in the UK to offer the MOTR class and with their strict no-more-than-four-in-a-class rule it feels like the right home for it. MOTR is challenging and you need proper supervision to ensure that you’re using the roller correctly. That said, some of the moves will already be familiar to Pilates fans, and even if you’re a complete beginner you’ll be able to get through the hour.

It’s challenging, but I also found it relaxing – I had to concentrate so much that I forgot all of my usual boring concerns for the whole class. At the end of the hour I felt straighter and I had that satisfying ache gained from 60 minutes of non-stop roller-based work. I would definitely go back and I wouldn’t be afraid of falling off of the roller either.