Class Report: We try the workout Madonna is obsessed with. And now we understand why.

Image via Getty. 

Remember when Madonna fell on stage at the Brit Awards? Yep, ouch.

The pop star credited her speedy recovery to a workout called BodyART — a class based on principles of yin and yang, bringing together elements of yoga, Pilates, dance, and Tai Chi. It’s a total-body workout with emphasis on strength, cardio, and flexibility, and it’s become a big deal overseas.

Now BodyArt has arrived in Australia, so, naturally, we thought we’d give it a go.

BodyART was created by Robert Steinbacher, a Swiss gymnast and dancer. It was originally developed as a therapeutic tool, but Steinbacher soon realised it was effective for people without physical limitations.

I'm glad he did, because this class is so much fun.

I'd assumed it would be like yoga, with maybe a few Pilates moves thrown in. It was both of those things, but on a totally different level to anything I had experienced before.

I went to Kaya Health Club to try the class — and, just quietly, the place is amazing.

The class began with light yoga and some Tai Chi moves in time to calming music, and built up into faster moves and sequences to faster music. The music in the class goes with the tempo of the exercise you're doing, and it is such a natural fit that it provides a great distraction.

The session also incorporated Pilates moves, focusing on the abs. (Post continues after gallery.)

The entire workout  is based on the principles of Yin and Yang and the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine: wood, earth, fire, metal and water. It has a focus on tension and release through active and passive movements; the yin and the yang, so to speak.

The class as a whole left me feeling really balanced, and it really does work out you entire body, as evidenced by the fact I was very sore the next day (in saying that, I haven't been to the gym in... a really long time).

Would I go again? Totally. Because above all, the class was really, really fun and you'd never get bored during it.

You can check out BodyArt classes and read more about them on the Kaya Health Club site.

Have you ever tried a celebrity workout? What was it like?