I got The Mirror and it might be the best thing ever

Honestly, I don’t know when I became the “workout person,” because that was never, ever my thing. Without any significant exercise history whatsoever, I started with a gym membership in an effort to lose the almost 80 pounds I gained while pregnant 12 years ago. Then I got obsessed with Pilates and ran with it until my husband caught wind of how much it was costing every month. (After that I pretty much stopped for about five years and started back up when we joined a country/beach club.) Fast forward to about two-and-a-half years ago when I decided to join a Pilates studio with an unlimited membership, which meant I was literally there every day. Then coronavirus happened, and I paused the first week of March.

While I couldn’t get to the studio, I tried countless apps from Peloton (not enough class options without the bike or treadmill) and Obé (which is actually really amazing) as well as virtual classes I was able to access through my Club Pilates membership, but I felt myself needing more accountability. Enter The Mirror, and it has changed everything.

Although my son initially resisted the addition of this piece of equipment to his chill-out loft, who could argue with the seamless integration of what appears to be nothing more than a full-length mirror? But we all got so much more than that after waiting more than three quarantine weeks for it to arrive.

This unobtrusive décor accent has become our go-to for our daily fitness, especially since it’s become too hot outside to even take a leisurely (or speed) walk. In the two weeks since I got The Mirror, I’ve done Pilates, barre, boot camp, kickboxing, stretching and other workouts geared specifically for muscle toning. My son also uses it daily to keep his cardio up since all of his sports (and camp) have been cancelled.

First thing in the morning, I check out the day’s lineup of live classes, and if none of those work, I have an entire library of workouts to choose from. I have absolutely loved the sheer variety of classes I have to choose from and being able to sync my Apple Watch to track my heart rate and calorie-burn makes it even better. Even better, even the “encore” (i.e. not live) classes make you feel like you’re participating in real time. And the interaction via submitting emojis based on how the workout is making you feel—as well as the app’s tracking of you weekly progress—makes it all the better.

With the help of what I can only describe as a hologram of the instructor in a mirror, you can make it as easy or as difficult as you’d like. I’ve definitely been pushing myself—and today I worked out in a sports bra and bike shorts for the first time ever. Yes, a loose top is usually an essential piece of my workout wardrobe, but I suddenly don’t feel the need either because I’m exercising within the confines of my own home, or maybe because I feel better about my body in just a few short weeks.

The Mirror is far from cheap, but the initial price of $1,500 (plus the $40 monthly fee) has already been majorly offset by stopping my Pilates membership in early March. At the end of the day, I’m saving so much time by working out when I want to in the comfort of my own home, and I’ll ultimately be saving $160 a month by sticking to The Mirror at home (especially when I don’t foresee being comfortable returning to my Pilates studio anytime soon).

Finally, I am counting on The Mirror to help offset the effects of the near-constant cooking, baking and snacking—because the thought of not being able to fit into any of my pants with non-elastic waistbands when this is over is worse than the current state of my roots.