I am still bar(re) crazy, and I plan on making the Saturday morning Barre Class with Misty here in my city. After researching new cross training options, the barre still offers so much for the runner, who wants a new way to stay fit. Barre borrows moves from ballet to sculpt strong, lean, shape enhancing legs and glutes while at the same time tightening the midsection and boosting strength. For those of you who don't have a studio near to try, there are videos available to guide you from the warmth and comfort of your home. I also call this class cardio, as I have noticed my pulse racing and hard breathing through this dance inspired workout. Really. Try and see for yourself. It is amazing.
Yoga uses the weight of your own body through a series of movements and poses and postures to also get your heart rate and breathing up, all the while not moving off of your mat. I love the stretches and poses of yoga too and this also leaves you feeling calm, centered and great when you are done. Again, its great to have the personal attention of a class in a studio, but if none fit your time frame or are available, the video gives great options here as well. There are all different types of yoga, and modifications help you whatever your level of beginning fitness is. One friend of mine will tell you she is not good at Yoga, so she doesn't like to go. Yoga is a personal practice. A practice. Each day your body will react differently. Some days you will feel flexible and others not so much. It is part of the practice. Yoga is not a competitive sport in the studio. You make it your own. Posture, stress relief, breathing, strength and flexibility help your body as a whole, Many golfers will be in a Saturday class to help with back pain and improve their swing. All ages and fitness levels are welcome, although some classes are geared specifically toward beginners. I suggest a beginner take a spot on the floor toward the back of the room to be able to follow others who are more experienced, or select a spot directly behind or next to the instructor to get the best result. Both Yoga and Barre classes help with balance and toning. Whats not to love? I am going to add Yoga to my coming week. Namaste!
If you are impatient, want fast results in the shortest amount of time and are willing to work hard, try Tabata. My first Tabata class was an accident. I misread my gym's schedule, and walked into a room outfitted with ballet barres along the wall and made an assumption. About 2 minutes into the class, just past the initial warm up, I breathlessly asked the instructor, "this IS Barre Class, isn't it?" And Joyce, a super trainer and Tabata instructor informed me that I was actually in Tabata. No time to discuss what that meant or was going to mean for me personally. I was too out of breath and the class had moved from the 10 sec rest period into the next session. Yes, very challenging. I elected to stay and complete the class. It would have been awkward to say the least to bail, and besides I could tell this was a great class. As with all new things I was concerned about adding weights to the mix as was going on, with my limitations of lifting and brain strain (elevations of blood pressure) being never far from my mind. I know I cannot lift heavy weights, and must not hold my breath during exercise challenging moves, per doctor's orders. Joyce was cool in advising me how to modify. I used 2lbs. wts or just weight of my arms. If I got dizzy I would stop and cut back. The lower body work out I thought I could manage fine. Was I super surprised when the day or two after this fast paced class I had trouble climbing stairs or squatting to pick up something from the floor.???? Apparently there were parts of my legs and glutes I had not been working by running. I decided this to be good and had a great race in a week or so following. I like this class. What you do changes so fast, the time goes by quickly. In 45 mins counting warm up, you'll feel a whole body hard workout. Fast hard workout = fast results.
Spinning or good old fashioned bike riding is low injury risk and great for strengthening and shaping the lower body. It's cardio for sure, with the added benefit that you can take your own pace and challenge yourself as you choose. TV Doctor Oz was interviewed one day about his running in New York City, before or after working at NYU Med Center. He said he had had to stop due to knee pain for a while, and consulted Orthopedic Surgery and Physical Therapy for help. His doctor wanted to do arthroscopy to visualize the joint, clean up the joint a bit as needed; this would put him out of work and training for a few days, slow him down so he opted to continue PT for the time being. The Physical Therapist he saw, recommended he try cycling for training and therapy. Cycling builds up the supportive structures of the knee, that help to protect and stabilize the knee. With this explanation, Dr. Oz began cycling. It is a way to maintain cardio vascular training levels and not pound the knees with running, in effect continuing exercise while resting and strengthening the knee. Dr Oz maintained in that interview that his knees feel fine now, no surgery needed, and he has returned to running but spends more time on the bike than on the road. Win win!
A spinning class with loud booming music and an instructor telling me what to do next gets me to push myself. My husband likes hard bike workouts, so we plan soon to do one of these together, when his schedule permits. There are gyms that have bikes that simulate actual tracks and races that motivate too. Or you can put on a movie (like me) on a rainy day and bike until the credits run out. If you like movies this is a great excuse to spend an afternoon watching one.
Many classes will mix it up for what is now called muscle confusion. Doing the same thing all the time is not just boring for the mind, but mixing it up challenges our bodies in new ways that ups the benefits. The key is to not think, just get going! Learning something new with physical activity is great for the brain as well. A work out for the body, helps to strengthen the brain at the same time. Now lets get going! Your health depends on it. You are worth it.
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