Each Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, a group of students trickle into the Urban Spring Pilates central studio in Bangsar for an Xtend Barre class by former national gymnast, Farahana Azmin. The 1-hour ballet/Pilates class is grueling and literally ‘breathtaking’, as Farahana, with her dancer’s gait and disciplined movements, transitions from Relevé Plié to Passes, moves across mat to barre, with the occasional resistance band and ball to fire up muscles. There are a number of reasons Farahana’s classes are booked solid most days – besides her athletic credentials, the full-time strategy manager for a prestigious developer is adept at the art of side-hustling, an energy that permeates her sweat sessions. We pulled through a Sunday class then caught our breath with a chat on work-life balance and fitness resolutions.
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