Ugh, winter. Am I right? The excitement of the holiday season has faded, and now it’s just cold. Really, really, really cold. How can we stay active and committed to our fitness routine when our hibernation instincts are screaming “blankets, hot cocoa and Netflix?”
I decided to shake the winter blues by shaking things up at the gym. Despite knowing that I shouldn’t do the same thing all the time, I found myself mentally checking out and, well doing the same thing all the time. Working out had become a little bit of a chore.
To combat the monotony, I decided to try a barre class that I’d had one eye on for some time. Maybe in the back of my mind I was saving it for Cabin Fever Season, but I shouldn’t have waited so long.
It was an incredible workout. The movements are small and very controlled, but they are intense and they work more muscles than an average workout. I really did use muscles that I had forgotten I had. The best part is, I got Jenn to join me, and we had a blast. (I’ll admit, it’s a little boost to watch your personal trainer sweat just as hard as you.)
For those of you who have taken ballet (or even pilates) at any point in your lives, barre class will feel familiar but not like a repeat. If you’ve never taken ballet before, barre is a great way to have fun and strengthen a lot of supporting muscles, especially your core and it’s great for your posture. But if you want to just pretend to be a ballerina, that’s okay too. It’s a great way to shake things up any time of year.