Body Temple: Get in shape in a supportive women-only environment!

Trying to get back in shape after having a baby is hard. Duh. Tell me something I don’t know, right? The fact is, unlike pre-babies when the only obstacle to getting into shape was your own willpower (or lack of it), now you’re up against the schedule of little people who have their own ideas about how much sleep you’re going to get, the time you’ll have for preparing healthy food, juggling school drop-offs, work and your and their social life! Enter, Body Temple, a personal training studio where they know exactly what you’re up against, and you feel like no one could give less of a crap how many reps you can do, or how you look sweating it out in your Lululemon.

Owner Karine, a blonde, hyper-active French-Canadian expat who has been in Singapore for 8 years, heads up the all-female team of personal trainers at their Loewen Gardens studio (near Dempsey). Her energy and passion for health and fitness literally shines out of her as she takes you through an initial “welcome” consultation where she encourages you to consider your personal fitness goals. I confessed (with an honesty I probably wouldn’t have had talking to a man) that my main goal is to look hot in a pair of shorts. I also told her I don’t like to work out too hard — I’m more a gently-gently pilates and yoga girl than a “drop and give me twenty” type. Nodding and smiling she said she could put the perfect programme together for me, and unlike other consultations I’ve done before, she encouraged me to think and plan what I would do outside of my sessions with her. Would I run, swim, or find a yoga class at the perfect time to fit in with my schedule?

After a chat and some detailed questions about my fitness history, it was into the studio for some trial exercises so she could see how I moved and whether my complained-of groin injury would affect anything she needed me to do. Karine put me through my paces with some gentle run-throughs of various movements, testing my core strength, and even asking about my pelvic floor. After the first session I felt inspired and motivated to add some extra exercise sessions into my week, ahead of my next Body Temple visit.

For the second session with Karine, it was down to serious business — time for a proper workout! Thankfully you always start off slowly at Body Temple, with five minutes of “rolling” your muscles across a foam roller. Surprisingly ouchy! After some dynamic stretching, some pilates-like core exercises and some bouncing around on a fitness ball, we hit the TRX, worked with a medicine ball, did some step movements and finally it was on to the exercise bike for two minutes of frantic pedalling to get the endorphins flowing. The variety that Karine packs into a workout is fantastic. You never get bored and if there’s something you’re really hating (hello rowing machine!), it will soon be over!

I’ve now done four sessions at Body Temple, and have to say I’m a huge fan. Workouts are challenging, and I’m definitely sore the following day, but never so much that I can’t move! Karine and the Body Temple crew are a fun, warm group of ladies who obviously enjoy their jobs, chatting and motivating their clients. The only sl. It couldn’t be more perfect to pop to after school drop-off for a fantastic start to the day, or a lunchtime boost.

There’s so much more to Body Temple than just personal training sessions though! They also run 6 week “Fight the Flab” weight-loss groups where they integrate guidance from a nutritionist, zumba classes, prizes for women who “win” at a certain fitness task, and much much more into the programme. If you’re looking to embrace a more healthy lifestyle (or just look better in your shorts), I highly recommend Karine and the Body Temple gang!

Personal training sessions start from SGD95 as part of a package. Contact Body Temple for further info. 

Body Temple, 75 Loewen Gardens, Singapore 248845
Tel: (+65) 9100 8714
Email: feelgood@bodytemple.sg
www.bodytemple.sg