Who shares about barre classes ...

Good Morning to you!
I hope you are waking up refreshed and ready for the week.

I am waking up a little groggy because of a weekend away, but nothing that a morning run can't fix!
I had a great weekend in Chicago with a lifelong friend and her 2 kids! We played at the pool, played at the park, and sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs. Such a fun weekend, and so glad we have stayed close all of these years.
_________________________________________________________________________

Last Fall I decided to take the plunge and start teaching Fitness Classes at a local Ann Arbor gym called Vie. (Ann Arbor readers - great gym, owned by 2 great, local ladies!)

I have always LOVED taking group fitness classes because they expose me to new things and new moves - and being part of a group pushes me and also allows me to bond with other active ladies (or men).

Since B was so busy working, and I did have some of my evenings free - I decided it was a perfect time to add Group Fitness Instructor to my list of hobbies (And full disclosure - as an instructor, I get to take other classes for free, HUGE PERK!)

I got certified and started teaching Barre classes and fell in love with the class.
Since I am taking Human Anatomy this Fall and 2 of my evenings are filled to the brim with the class -  I have decided I need to cut back on my fitness classes and tonight is my last Barre class that I am teaching for a while. I am sad because I love teaching (and just doing) the class - and I will miss some of the regulars that come every week.

BUT - in honor of teaching my last class ... I thought I would share some thoughts/tips about barre classes. I know coming to a group fitness class can be a bit intimidating if you do not know what to expect - so hopefully these tips will help and push you to take the plunge and sign up for a new class! (For readers in Ann Arbor - first class at Vie is FREE!)

Barre Class Tips and TidBits 

• Barre is a generic term 
• Barre defines a class that uses a ballet barre and uses small, isolated movements set to upbeat music. There are certain types of barre that have their own format - such a PureBarre - and then there are certain nationwide studios that teach different types of Barre classes - such as The Barre Code - and lastly there are gyms that teach barre classes, along with other classes - such as my gym Vie.
• I was certified by a local gym in Detroit that has its own Barre format - but gives the instructors a lot of flexibility in class

• Barre uses lighter weights but more repetitions
• In my first barre class, I thought it was silly we had 3 pound weights  - but as we were doing what felt like our millionth arm exercise in a row, I understood why we had 3 pound weights!
• For your first class - use the 2 or 3 pound weights and if needed, stop and shake out your arms in the middle of a series

Vie's downtown studio

• Because Barre uses more reps and longer holds - you need to focus and breath
•  Your muscles are going to shake - but try to focus and push through! Always listen to your body and take breaks when needed, but if your muscles start shaking (totally normal), you do not need to break right way ... keep pushing a bit longer!

The infamous "Chair Pose" - hard but great!

• Barre can help your flexibility
• Barre class helps tone your muscles, but it also involves a lot of stretching! After you rip your muscles holding the "chair pose" for a few minutes, it is important to stretch those muscles you just worked to help them lengthen
• BUT  - you do not have to be a flexible ballerina to take a class. I am an instructor and I am very inflexible ... but working on it

• What to wear:
• Yoga half tights - they are better than shorts, because it will prevent sneaking anyone a peak when you bend over and get in different positions
• Sleeveless workout top - gives your arms more range of motion
• Barefoot or grippy sock 
  

• Form is really important 
• Listen to the instructor and make sure you understand the position. This will help prevent injury and also get the most out of the workout.
• Let your instructor know you are new

• Get excited to see results! 
• I can honestly say that since I have been teaching I have noticed that my arms are more toned and my booty is more lifted

Please let me know if you have any other barre questions or group fitness class questions in general! If you are feeling nervous about attending a class - ask a friend to join you and take the plunge!!

How was everyone's weekend?

Who tried 2 new fitness classes ...

Before we get to our regularly scheduled blogging, I wanted to update you on the future schedule of the blog. I think quality is more important than quantity for this blog, so I am going to be blogging on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am hoping to have some guest bloggers pop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays too! The easiest way to get the newest posts is to sign up on the right to get emails =)
__________________________________________________________________________

It was definitely hard to get up and get ready for work this morning! Mondays after a holiday weekend are just cruel!

But, after my work trip to Boston, I have a lot of follow up to do, so hopefully today goes by quickly and is productive.

Speaking of my work trip to Boston, I wanted to share some highlights with you. When I travel for work my days are filled with meetings, but sometimes my meetings are in cool locations. For example, I got to go down to Mystic, Connecticut (about 2 hours south of Boston) to meet an alum for lunch.

The area was gorgeous  - right on the Long Island Sound with sailboats everywhere. I love the smell of salt water and that sticky feeling you get near the ocean. Mystic is known for having the largest maritime museum too (I did not have time to go through it).

Beside touring Connecticut, I also made time for TWO new workouts while I was in  Boston. On Tuesday evening I went to a cute, local boutique gym called Btone  to take a class called Tone & Blast. The first 20 minutes of the class were on a machine called a Megaformer, which is described on their website as, "representing a significant evolution of the traditional Pilates reformer. It is designed to cater to both upper and lower body muscles, using a system of springs and pulleys to accomodate the resisteance and counter-resistance elements of the workout." 

Everything was new to me, but I feel like I caught on quickly and got a great workout on the machine. You had to use your core to balance you a lot which I loved! The last 30 minutes of the class were at the barre - but it was very different than a typical barre class... I was SWEATY! It was a lot of cardio and quick moves. I liked it because it was a great contrast to the slow, deliberate moves on the megaformer. 

The second workout I squeezed in on Wednesday morning, I woke up early to check out the November Project . It was probably one of the coolest workout experiences ever - and I think it will be hard for me to describe. Their website states it well - "November Project™ is a grassroots FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. Now present in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America, the movement is using a simple sense of accountability to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving."

The group meets 3 mornings a week in Boston, and each morning the group meets at a different location and does a different workout. On Wednesday mornings they meet at Harvard Stadium and do stairs. I consider myself to be in shape, but this workout kicked my butt! You run up the big stairs and come down the little stairs, and let me tell you the big stairs were HUGE!  As a newbie, we started at section 37 and went to section 19 ... does sound too bad, but my legs were shaking sooooo bad by the end! Veterans went all the way to Section 14 AND back ... cannot imagine.

The whole group that was there for the morning workout! See me??

So the workout was tough, but what made it such an amazing experience were the people. The November Project was started by 2 guys -Bojan and Brogan - and they have SO much energy -  it is contagious. They really stress that the movement is about creating a sense of community. As a newbie, I had to introduce myself to people and also give 3 people big bear hugs. Sounds silly, but it was so much fun.

Lastly,  I knew there would be a lot of people there - but there were at least a 100... but it did not feel cramped because everyone went at their own pace and spread out. 

If you imagine doing a really tough workout with over 100 people encouraging each other ... that is what November Project is all about, and it is such a cool idea! Look to see if there is a branch in your city by going to their website!

It was a pretty busy trip, but also pretty amazing! 

Have you tried any new workouts recently? And how was your 4th of July?