How slow can you go?
In January, I joined a fitness studio that has quite literally changed my life.
It’s a studio that specializes in the Lagree method, which is a low-impact, high-intensity Megaformer workout.
I’ve always wanted to try a Megaformer workout (a lot of my friends love it), so over the holiday break, when I noticed that a new studio opened within walking distance of where I live, I signed up for a two-week trial. I never have imagined how much I would love it—I do it 4-5 times a week now!—but also how much I would learn from it.
The first time I took the class, I remember feeling intimidated by the big machines that I knew nothing about and by the intimate class size. With only 8 people max per class, I knew that meant that I couldn’t try to hide the fact that I didn’t know how to do the workout. But I lucked out: I had a wonderful instructor for my first session. Before we started, she taught me the basics of the machine and gave me a heads-up that it would take a few sessions to learn the moves. She encouraged me to give myself grace. At the beginning of the class, she turned off the lights, which helped. One of the things I’ve come to love most about my studio is that the classes happen in the dark with neon strobe lights and really loud music.
That first class was hard. There were several times I thought I might throw up. My body was shaking in a way that I didn’t know it could shake. The workout challenged me physically and mentally—I definitely wanted to give up several times—but it was like the instructor could sense those moments because that’s when she would give the room a pep talk to encourage us to keep pushing through.
The biggest thing I noticed—and what made this different from any other workout I had ever done in the past—was how slow the movements were.
The Lagree method uses micro movements. For each rep, you move only a few inches, and you drag out the movement to the point where 10 seconds feels like an eternity. No matter how slow you think you’re moving, the instructor continually reminds you to slow it down even more. In fact, the only time you’re recognized publicly in the class is when you’re moving slower than a snail.
This is not what I’m used to. In the past, I’ve done workouts like running and HIIT classes where the whole point is to move as fast as you safely can. My goal has always been to go faster and “beat” my last pace or number of reps.
That’s not too much different from our world, right? Everything moves so fast. We've built a society where we’re rewarded for moving quickly, and many of us believe that, if we slow down, we might get left behind. We’re constantly comparing ourselves to the people around us, gauging how much further “ahead” they are and how quickly they’re getting there.
That’s why I’m obsessed with my Lagree classes. That studio is the one place where I feel I have the permission to move slowly and be celebrated for doing so. It’s the one place where I can inspire my neighbor, not by outpacing them, but by moving slower than them. The result is that it’s turned into the most liberating, grounding, and calming hour of my day—and I am blown away by the physical results of such tiny, slow movements.
It’s made me think about how I can stay in that slow state after I walk out of the studio doors to a world that operates at a lightning pace. And especially at work.
For example, I now think about my daily tasks differently. I ask myself: Do all of these things really need to be done in a single day, or is that a pressure I’m imposing on myself to try to keep up with the “hustle”? I often realize that the pressure to get everything done in a day is coming from myself, which means it’s a pressure I can relieve myself of.
And then there are the emails. Do I really need to respond to messages within two nanoseconds? I’ve started to give myself permission to sit with what is in my inbox and think about how I want to reply, even if that means waiting to respond for a day or two.
I’ve also noticed a difference in meetings and conversations. Do I really need to share my perspective right this moment? I’ve realized it’s more meaningful and powerful to say, “Let me think about that,” or, “Let me get back to you tomorrow,” instead of feeling pressured to give an answer on the spot.
My biggest growth has been with ideas. Do I really need to turn this idea into action right now? As an activator, I love to start new things, and I’ve often felt unmotivated when an idea takes too long to get off the ground. But recently, I’ve found that when I give myself time to sit with my ideas, I come up with better ones. I’ve been giving myself permission to let ideas simmer before taking action and sometimes not take any action at all.
And finally, it’s also caused me to think about the environment I create in my company. Part of what makes Lagree classes so special is that the people around me move slowly, which then gives me permission to move slowly. It’s made me think: Do I give my team permission to move slowly? What pace am I modeling for them? When I'm giving deadlines, am I making space for a realistic, calm timeline? Am I recognizing people for moving slowly just as much as I recognize them for moving fast? I want our company to feel just as liberating and grounding as it feels in that Lagree class.
Who would have thought that all this could come from signing up for a fitness class?!
I hope this inspires you to think about how you can find your stillness in such a busy world. How slow can YOU go?
Big hugs,
