This Video Of Kate Hudson Belting "Shallow" During A Workout Will Make You Feel So Seen
On Sunday, Feb. 24, Lady Gaga took home an Oscar for Best Original Song for "Shallow," aka the tune from A Star Is Born that I can't stop singing, and TBH, I feel like a proud mom. Not only does Lady Gaga know how to make incredible music, she helps her fans embrace and appreciate their true, authentic selves, and that's exactly why I love her. Honestly, Lady Gaga is so good that even Kate Hudson couldn't get through a workout without singing "Shallow" at the top of her lungs — literally.
In a video posted to Instagram on Feb. 23, Hudson can be seen lying on her back on a table, following the guidance of a trainer to go through a series of pilates-based, leg-raising exercises while simultaneously sharing her (IMO) very good rendition of Lady Gaga's Oscar-winning song "Shallow."
"Gearing up for my in-living room Oscar performance..." the 39-year-old actor wrote in the caption, along with the hilarious hashtags #mommybrain, #WasIInTheRightKey?, and #SometimesYouJustNeedToBeltItOut.
Hudson's trainer, identified by HuffPost as Nicole Stuart, wasn't quite as impressed by the actor's singing chops. After Hudson exclaimed that she hit the note during her last rep, Stuart cheekily responded, “Why don’t you hit the proper form, and then hit the note?" LOL.
If you haven't gone to a pilates class that uses machines, you might be a little confused about what's going on in the video. The machine Hudson is using in the post might look part-massage table and part-torture device, but she identified it in a previous Instagram post as a pilates device called a Gratz Cadillac. Fitted with foot straps, springs, and bars, the machine adds resistance to common pilates moves to make them even more challenging.
Pilates machines like this are usually called "reformers," and they really amp up your workout in comparison to a regular pilates class, thanks to tools like the foot straps that Hudson is using in her video. “The biggest difference between a mat and reformer class is this addition of resistance to the exercises,” Elizabeth Heidari, a pilates instructor at Flex Studios, told MyFitness Pal. “This makes moves more intense than they would be in a mat class.”
If your busy schedule doesn't leave much time for pilates classes, or your budget (let alone your apartment) doesn't exactly have room for a pricy workout machine, that doesn't mean that you can't try a similar workout — "Shallow" singing included. In fact, you can recreate some of these moves at home with a comfortable yoga mat and a variety of resistance bands.
According to Aaron Karp, MS, ATC, CSCS, sports performance specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the key to truly challenging your muscles in this type of workout is to keep them engaged the entire time you're going through each movement. "Instead of just letting the weight drop and kind of hanging out at the bottom, keep a little bit of tension on a band," he told Refinery29.
Even if "Shallow" isn't really your kind of music, you can pick pretty much any song you love to help make your workout as much of a blast as it was for Hudson. Maybe for you that means belting Disney tunes, or feeling the rhythm of your favorite rap song. Whatever you choose, make sure you're having fun. “Pilates makes my day better and that’s just the straight truth!" Hudson captioned another video posted to Instagram. "Every time I finish a class I feel two inches taller, lighter, and more grounded."
