Full Body Stretches with SM Stretching
Last night SM Stretching hosted a pop-up class at Energi Union Square. Founder and rhythmic gymnastics champion, Samira Mustafaeva, was sweet enough to reach out to me on Instagram to notify me that she was coming in to NYC for a one-time class.
Having been a former competitive rhythmic gymnast myself, I have been following Samira and her company's pages on IG for a while now so I knew I had to make it to the class. On top of it all, Energi is located only one block away from my house!
The one hour class was not only fun, but extremely effective both for flexibility and for muscle toning. The first 15 minutes of the class focused on an intense warm-up session which involved cardio and leg/butt toning. The remainder of the class focused on lengthening and stretching the legs and back. First, we began by holding positions for several minutes that led up to us doing splits, straddles, and then backbends.
I normally stretch at home or in yoga class, but I definitely prefer doing these types of classes held by a professional that exclusively focuses on stretching. I always struggled with my left leg and straddle, but Samira was able to get me to reach the ground in both of these positions.
SM Stretching has studios in both LA and Moscow. I highly encourage you to try out a class if you live near one of these cities, because stretching has numerous mental and physical benefits regardless of your level. I look forward to taking classes in both of these locations in the near future!
Love always and forever,
Vale
Pop-up class hosted at: Energi Union Square https://energi.life/welcome/