AIIB Project Office Offers Pilates Experience Tutorial
2017-06-26

Under the guidance of the tutor, the AIIB employees extended and relaxed their bodies with much concentration, again and again, immersed in the soothing music to feel mental and physical loosening up. For better physical and mental fitness and escape from their daily working pressures, the AIIB employees were offered a getaway from the pressurized routine to achieve a pleasant working environment. To mark the AIIB Project Office’s 1stanniversary of entering into the AIIB Head Office, together with the Feeling Fitness Club, this Office presented four Pilates experience tutorials for the AIIB employees with record-high participation.

Having been created for more than 9 decades, the exercise is named after its founder Mr. Joseph H. Pilates, aimed at muscle relaxation and control, born in a prisoner of war camp in 1914. It is a combination of oriental pliability and occidental fortitude with slow and coherent movements completed with breathing practice, particularly suitable for office workers of any age who lack of chance of physical exercises. Body twisting and extension being at the center of the workout, it doesn’t result in bulging muscles but body flexibility and resilience at the core – the vertebral column. Therefore, Pilates is the best approach to health of the cervical vertebra and vertebral column.

Custom-made for the AIIB employees, Ms. Naffe, a highly experienced and certified senior fitness instructor from Turkey, a winner of the 10 Best Pilates Trainers in 2012, was invited to present the lecture. Eye-catching posters were designed and put up in the lobby of the Head Office Building and outside the Yoga studio to attract the widest attention from the AIIB employees. E-mail messages were sent to all the staff through the Administration Office and face-to-face invitation delivered to the VIPs. The facilities in the Yoga studio, i.e. the full-length wall mirror and well-lit spaciousness, made it the best choice for the venue. Marley flooring, sound system and drinking water were also prepared for the learners’ ease and comfort in the tutorials.

40 AIIB employees, a record-high for an AIIB Project Office organized event, showed up eventually. A few male employees also signed in the female dominant program. During the 90-minute lunch break, the learners turned, twisted and extended their arms, chests and shoulders to achieve maximum relaxation, following the movements of the instructor. In the course of the 2-week-long twice-a-week tutorial, the Yoga studio was filled with the learners’ laughter in pursuit for fitness and health. Numerous learners applied for the follow-up class, being arranged on demand. The learners’ recognition and satisfaction encourage us to offer higher quality service to the AIIB employees and boost the solidarity between the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the DRC AIIB Project Office employees.