Puppies, ponies and Pilates: I tried some of Singapore’s most unconventional fitness classes

Puppies, ponies and Pilates: I tried some of Singapore’s most unconventional fitness classes From yoga with rescued cats to Pilates alongside puppies, ponies and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, these classes are turning exercise into an experience. There was a time when Pilates didn’t involve much more than a mat or a reformer machine, a mirrored studio and the dreadful silence that descends when the instructor tells you to add pulses. But not anymore. Now, fitness in Singapore can look a lot different – from a scenic backdrop of the world’s tallest indoor waterfall to puppies wandering across your mat, ponies neighing beside you and cats judging your form from a comfortable distance. Somewhere along the way, exercise became experiential. As someone whose relationship with working out has always depended on whether I’m having fun (as you can imagine, I mostly was not), colour me curious. Could puppies, cats, ponies and a majestic waterfall make me forget that I was exercising? There was only one way to find out. Here are four of Singapore’s most unusual fitness experiences I recently tried. 1. PUPPY PILATES Dog lovers, I can attest that this will be a true haven for you. It’s a simple concept: a Pilates class where golden retrievers – ranging from puppies to full-grown dogs – freely roam around the studio as participants attempt to work out. "Attempt" is the keyword here, because it takes just one to be merely in your vicinity for all concentration to shatter. In fact, the hope of a dog running into my arms prevented any focus at all. Hosted as pop-ups by Pilates & Paws in partnership with Golden Paws pet shop and the Gravity by Noir studio, each session begins with a 45-minute beginner-friendly Pilates class that guarantees a burn if you don’t give in to the distraction. Sanitising hands upon entry, participants head to their preferred mats which are neatly laid out, each with a weight and a phone stand for those who’d like to film. The dogs are then released as they dash about the room or find a comfortable spot for their nap. Truth be told, the adorable creatures had more of my attention than the instructor. I’d abandon every pose the second I locked eyes with any puppy in hopes to catch them in my arms if our moment of eye contact meant anything to them. More often than not, I’d sigh in resignation and pick the weight back up. After the Pilates, however, as each participant was served a refreshing glass of apple juice as a post-workout treat, was when the real deal truly began – puppy politics. He who held the treat held the power to lure a dog into an embrace. This is when 30 minutes of free play with the puppies begins. Each participant is also promised a Polaroid picture with the pups, so the staff would skilfully seat the dogs with a treat in hand for a photo. At this point, it was as if the Pilates class never even happened. All pain was forgotten and forgiven the second I touched the dogs. Every one of them was friendly and a willing captive to cuddles until a treat called their name. Under the watchful eye of the staff who would even carry the dogs to those who weren’t getting their attention, the environment was charged with baby-voice blubbering resounding from every corner. With such a sweet pay-off at the end, I’d willingly put myself through those 45 minutes again. More details on Pilates & Paws' Instagram. 2. KITTY YOGA Feline fanatics, there’s something for you, too. Albeit not a Pilates class, this yoga class promises a good stretch with poses that might even feel like a biological marvel – all while the cats roam about freely. In a little studio on Arab Street by Fuzzies Singapore where nine rescued cats reside, an intimate hour-long session begins with a 45-minute beginner-friendly yoga class before 15 minutes of play time with the cats. Complete with ground rules at the start of class along with cards of information about each cat’s likes, dislikes, habits and warnings on the wall, the class is just as safe for the felines as it is for you. Cats, being way calmer and quieter, made for peaceful companions to yoga. Until a little cat fight erupted and the serenity came crashing down when one dashed right in front of me with a vicious meow. Let’s just say I had my guard up after that – though we were told that this was not a usual occurrence. It wasn’t as easy to close my eyes when moving, like we were guided to sometimes, as I feared accidentally hurting them. Nonetheless, it felt like a personal victory whenever a cat picked you – or in my case, my bag and bottle. Play time afterwards entailed toys, though nothing worked quite as effectively as treats. While I did leave the class feeling refreshed, I haven’t decided if it was from the invigorating yoga or the thrill I experienced with the cats. More details on Kitty Yoga Singapore's Instagram. 3. REFORMER PILATES IN THE RAIN The relaxing sight and sound of the cascading waterfall together with the comfortable air-conditioning in Jewel Changi Airport might make for a tranquil retreat – until you add reformer Pilates to the mix. Each participant gets a towel, a pair of headphones through which they hear the instructor and some background ambience music (the waterfall is really loud), and is pointed to a reformer machine that comes with a tripod for filming and a box of equipment that they’ll be asked to reach into throughout the class. Pilates by the world's tallest indoor waterfall meant 45 minutes of pushing my body to its limit with a regular spray of water giving a much-needed reprieve. It was a highlight for me, in fact – something that would make me want to have every Pilates class beside one. There was something very surreal about laying on the reformer during the cool-down stretches and looking up at the roof of Jewel Changi Airport. When else would one get to lay like that in the middle of a tourist attraction? Speaking of tourists, however, the only unpleasant part of this experience (no, not the exercise) was the barrage of onlookers from every angle, with some even filming us. For someone who prefers a more private workout ambience, it was uncomfortable. But in some way, the experience enabled me to not pay much mind to the spectators. With headphones snug around my ears, body being pushed to the limits as it kept up with timings and a huge waterfall behind me, it felt like I was in a world of my own and the 45 minutes flew by. More details on website 4. PILATES WITH PONIES This might be the first-of-its-kind Pilates session with ponies as your audience. Held outdoors amid lush greenery, the class traded air-conditioning and mirrored walls for blue skies, singing birds and bug intruders crawling onto your mat. In this one-off event at Bukit Timah Saddle Club by Embodi Club, the horses weren’t there to interact with us but to be our scenic view. Brought into a roped-off enclosure beside us, they spent the session grazing and trotting around, blissfully unaware that they were a marvel for everyone there. The full-body Pilates workout was beginner-friendly – but did not come without a burn, especially under the heat. Yet whenever I found myself struggling through a set, I’d glance over at the horses. The sight of white ponies along with the occasional neighs, even amid the burn and ache, made the whole session feel like a reverie. Afterwards, participants had the choice between grooming the ponies or trying equestrian vaulting – acrobatics and gymnastics performed on the back of a moving horse. The fear got to me and I resorted to watching, but it was still a sight to behold. The entire experience and location felt worlds away from the Singapore I know. By the end, I was exhausted and sweaty, but I also felt rejuvenated. Despite being a one-time event for now, Embodi Club is a Pilates social club which delivers experiential Pilates classes. More info on upcoming classes on Embodi Club's Instagram. VERDICT: WE GET IT So, did puppies, cats, ponies and a giant waterfall make me forget I was exercising? Mostly, yes. What struck me after all this wasn’t necessarily the workout itself. The Pilates and yoga classes were competent enough on their own, but it was clear that nobody was there solely for the exercise itself. They were there for the experience and the story. After each of these classes, I remember texting my friends to tell them how I did reformer Pilates beside the Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport, that I cuddled with puppies in my lap after a workout, stretched alongside rescued cats and spent an evening amongst ponies in a part of Singapore I never even knew existed. Fitness, in many ways, has become more than health. As someone who never enjoyed exercising and did it for the sake of it, I get the appeal. Traditional gym culture can feel intimidating – there’s often an unspoken pressure to perform, to know what you’re doing and look like you belong. These classes, on the other hand, felt far more approachable. Nobody was trying to be the strongest person in the room when there was a puppy wandering between the mats. The novelty also gives people a reason to show up. If a workout can double as a memorable experience or simply something to look forward to after a long week, it's not such a bad thing after all. By the end of my little experiment, I couldn’t tell you which class gave me the best workout. I can, however, tell you exactly how it felt to hold a golden retriever in my arms like a baby, hear a horse neigh mid-lunge, lock eyes with a cat in the middle of a stretch or lie beneath a towering waterfall wondering how I ended up there. And perhaps, that’s exactly the point.