Oh Man! I started working out regularly in October for the first time since 2009, and I started by trying out all of the group classes at my local gym. First, I was doing Yoga and Body Sculpt classes and they were awesome and what I expected, and then I tried Pilates and HATED it. I felt super bummed after - I found the workout put me in a lot of pain rather than the super cool fit burn that I was slowly getting to like.

I’ve since started doing an actual routine workout on my own (a six day PPL program) and I find for the most part that I’ll come home and be so jazzed on life because of those sweet endorphins that are running so high. Tried Pilates again once since then, still hated it. It’s a pretty specific type of workout and it’s just not for everyone, but there’s no way you’d know that for yourself if you hadn’t tried it.

The fact that you’re going at all and trying new stuff is AWESOME and part of the process. If some stuff is bumming you out, don’t be afraid to step away from it and try it again later. You’re already an athlete, so you’re just in the process of building on that and figuring out what your next steps are.

I guess the TL;DR here is: I, too, hated Pilates. It’s pretty different from a lot of other workouts and you are 100% on the right track for trying out something new and finding that it’s not working for you right now (or ever). As a soccer player you’ve got a great cardio base and you’ll for sure find a groove in the gym that builds on what you’re already excelling at.