Get The Gloss’s Sadie Reid joins Chrissy Sundt – former top ballerina and our new favourite Pilates guru – to try out Chrissy’s new on-demand workout series.
Written in partnership with Silver Linings
Does your fitness regime need a reboot? Maybe you’re looking for something new that’ll slot easily into your busy week? Or are you pondering how to stay on the workout wagon during the summer season, when our normal routines often go out of the window?
We can help with all of the above – meet Silver Linings Wellbeing, an online wellness platform, led by experts, which includes a library of over 200 workout, meditation and nutrition videos, all totally free to access. Get The Gloss’s Sadie Reid has been a fan for several years – that’s her in the videos being put through her paces by founder Chrissy – and she is seriously impressed. “I’ve got two small chilldren so the fact that each workout is only 20 minutes is key for me – I can fit one in every day,” she says. “Unlike Chrissy, I’m definitely not a ballet dancer and I’m not particularly flexible so I love the fact I can do the workouts in the privacy of my own home – it makes me feel more confident than I would be in a group class setting.” Sadie also notes that regularly doing Chrissy’s routines has helped improve her running abilities: “The smaller movements and stretches help with tight muscles. I’ve noticed a reduction in my running aches, pains and niggles, and I get fewer injuries.”
Ballerina turned businesswoman
It is all the brilliant brainchild of Chrissy Sundt, a Pilates, yoga and barre instructor, and choreographer, with two decades’ experience of teaching in the wellbeing industry. Chrissy is a former dancer with the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, whose understanding of the power of Pilates comes from a very personal place: after suffering from an ankle injury while dancing, she used the practice to rehabilitate.
In 2016, Chrissy launched Silver Linings Wellbeing, with a focus on wellness retreats on Kamalame Cay, an idyllic private island in the Bahamas. She still runs these transformational trips today (put one on your travel bucketlist pronto), alongside corporate wellbeing events.
As was the case for so many businesses, the pandemic forced a rethink and Chrissy took much of her business online. This proved to be a huge opportunity. She has built a wellness hub and digital studio with a strong community feel, with free resources available via one click – perfect for the way we now live our lives.
In 2016, Chrissy launched Silver Linings Wellbeing, with a focus on wellness retreats on Kamalame Cay, an idyllic private island in the Bahamas. She still runs these transformational trips today (put one on your travel bucketlist pronto), alongside corporate wellbeing events.
As was the case for so many businesses, the pandemic forced a rethink and Chrissy took much of her business online. This proved to be a huge opportunity. She has built a wellness hub and digital studio with a strong community feel, with free resources available via one click – perfect for the way we now live our lives.
Chrissy Sundt (left) and a sculpting workout session
Why we love Silver Linings Wellbeing’s workout videos
The extensive library of on-demand videos on its YouTube channel @slbychrissy will keep you occupied for a very long time – there are over 200 sessions, including Pilates, HIIT, stretch, barre, yoga and meditation, plus Qigong and soundbaths. They range from 10 minutes to an hour in length so there’s something for everyone, whatever your mood or however time-pressed you might be. There’s also content specifically designed for both pregnant and post-natal women. What’s more, Chrissy has enlisted a little black book of similarly experienced teachers and experts to cover all bases.
What we love about the YouTube workouts is how well structured they are, and how well filmed – spot the choreography pro! This makes it easy to follow along and stay engaged, whether you’re working out in your lounge, garden or hotel room. There’s also very little equipment involved (just grab a mat, maybe a chair) and they’re suitable for all fitness and experience levels, as the instructors offer modifications.
New! The Summer Sculpt series – free Pilates and barre at-home workouts
Don’t know where to start? Chrissy has just released a new Summertime Sculpt series which is well worth a look. A fun mix of Pilates and barre, it consists of five 20-minute workouts, each of which targets a different part of the body. (Sign us up for session 4’s “sexy glutes” right now!) The series will tone, burn fat, build strength and energise you for the holiday season ahead.
The links are all below so you can subscribe, bookmark and share.
