Before & After
Matt’s inspiring story begins in 2018. While working as a chef in Brooklyn, NY, and living a not-so-healthy lifestyle
Matt's Journey to Health
Matt’s brother invited him to his first-ever yoga class – a vinyasa session at Modo Yoga in West Village. “Everyone was beautiful, and I was like this fat hairy dude. 45-minutes into the class, I was so tired I didn’t care anymore. My self-consciousness melted away. I finished and felt amazing for a week!”
During this period, Matt’s weight topped 225 pounds. He quit some of his bad habits, like alcohol, and started some new ones including running and calisthenics. His mood quickly improved, his old clothes started to fall off, and he lost 70 pounds. All the miles made his body so tight that he couldn’t lie flat on the floor. He recalls that after his 8-mile daily runs, “Everything hurt,” so during the outset of the 2020 pandemic, remembering how great that first class felt, he tried video yoga classes in his parent’s clubhouse.
30 Day Challenge
Finally, in 2021, he found Orlando Hot Yoga & Pilates. “I had never been to Bikram Yoga before. For the first time, I spent the whole class looking at other people trying to figure out what to do.” A combination of Bikram and Hot Pilates resulted in another 10-pound loss. But when he stopped coming, he gained back 20.
Flash forward to March 2022. Matt came back to OHYP with resolve. It’s common for many students to try a 30- day challenge (attending 30 yoga classes in 30-days) when they want to reach a fitness goal. Matt took it a level further completing 56-classes in his first 30-days back, and he has kept the pace into April. Many days include doubles or even triples of Bikram 90 & 60, Hot Pilates, Hot Flow/Vinyasa, and even Yin.
The Benefits
Matt sees benefits to each style. “I have tons of energy after Bikram. After vinyasa, I feel more mellow.” If he had to name a favorite, it is vinyasa because, “It’s a hybrid of Bikram and Pilates, like calisthenics but more meditative.” For those that want similar results, he recommends doing at least one class a day and multiple if possible. “During the 2nd or 3rd class, I can get deeper into the postures.”
