Why I Love Barre3

Barre3. 

Have you heard of it?

I started using Barre3 religiously about 6 months ago. I had heard about various Barre franchises and absolutely loved the idea of incorporating ballet, pilates and yoga philosophies together. However, none of these trendy Barre classes really stood out to me--I just kept thinking, "Okay, yet another overpriced fitness class..." But then I learned about Barre3 from a friend. Barre3 was different, it stood out to me because it wasn't just a trend--it was a lifestyle. So this post today is dedicated to my undying love for Barre3 and why I think it is insanely AWESOME. AND this is for anyone who doesn't know much about it and should get on the Barre3 train right now. 

1. I grew up in Ballet, I miss it constantly. Barre3 allows me to use my training and continue to enjoy ballet without having to step into a dance studio. This is what drew me to Barre3 in the first place. *I should also mention that you do not need prior experience in dance. I just personally enjoy revisiting the techniques that I learned as a dancer in Barre3* 

"Balance, strengthen, and lengthen the body with moves inspired by ballet, yoga, and Pilates" --Barre3

     2.  The Barre3 Philosophy: Exercise, Nourish & Connect. And this is why I became hooked. 

Making exercise a priority and incorporating it into your day at any time

Nourishing your body with food that will only fuel your body properly

And finally, connecting with Barre3 instructors, the fundamentals of it's practice and being a part of a supportive community of individuals.   

    3.  Workout Options. I love the variety of workout options Barre3 provides for it's clients: In-studio, online or through the Barre3 app. 

    4.  Time constraints? No problem. Both the Barre3 app and online workouts cater workouts to whatever time you have!

   5. You can do these workouts, literally, anywhere. Majority of these workouts are made for busy moms--there are in-the-kitchen workouts, movement you can do in the park while your kids are playing or simple movements you can do from your desk at work. 

  6.  Recipes. The Barre3 blog and the Barre3 app have amazingly healthy recipes, easy for weekly meal planning!

  7. Healthy tip of the day. Love this! A healthy tip pops up on my phone daily with my Barre3 app. It helps me stay accountable and inspires me to make small changes. 

  8. "The Inch". The dreaded inch. I actually love/hate "the inch". Barre3 uses this term to describe small movement while performing poses and routines. It hurts, it burns, it feels so good and you can see results quite quickly. I also really love this idea for those of us who run--we use our large muscles constantly, however, it's the smaller muscles that are being neglected! Barre3 helps us out with that. 

  9.  Instructor feedback. The instructors are great about explaining what parts of the body you should be working and why it's beneficial to your health to work targeted muscles. The instructors are also your biggest cheerleaders--they are so positive and encouraging throughout the entire session. 

10.  Balance. I feel extremely balanced after completing a Barre3 session. I also feel strong, relaxed and ready to take on the day! 

  

So if you didn't know much about Barre3 before now, perhaps this is something you may want to check out. Let me know what you think and give Barre3 a try!

Cabin Fever!

Wow! 

So...we have been snowed in all weekend!

To say I have cabin fever is an understatement. (I keep sending my husband out for more wine) 

That and movie rentals are the only thing keeping me sane at this point.

Thursday the snow began fall in the Portland metro-area and then an hour later, it snowed harder and a few hours later, it began to absolutely DUMP! This is so not typical Pacific NorthWest weather. We were given twenty minutes at work to load up the kids and call all parents to pick them up immediately. My 10 minute commute to/from work turned into an almost 40 minute drive home (which was not even close to the amount of time some of my co-workers spent commuting home).

So as most businesses in the area have been closed since Friday (including my job), my husband and I have been enjoying our snow days at home. We took a long walk around the neighborhood on Friday and were the only people on the road! It was actually a bit eerie--no cars or people out and about. But also incredibly beautiful and tranquil at the same time. Cooper loved the snow. He ran through the snow, plowing his nose into it and shaking his head quickly. It was pretty hilarious.

There's just something so unbelievably magical about snow... 

I have been subjected to indoor workouts only, as my attempt to an outdoor run was an utter failure. As the snow continued to fall, the wind started to whip and the snowflakes just nailed me in the eyes. I literally could not see one thing in front of me. No matter what direction I ran in, I couldn't see a darn thing! 

Major bummer.

I have been very thankful for my Barre3 online workouts. 

At least I had pretty snow to look at! 

Oh and did I mention that I have been spending my days either baking or cooking?

  If I don't stay busy, I will go mad. 

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip Muffins, get the recipe here

Don't get me wrong, I loved the snow but am also very happy that it is finally melting now. I'm ready to return to civilization and a good run! At least I was finally able to catch up on laundry, deep cleaning and some of my favorite TV shows. I do feel that I have accomplished at least that much over the weekend. :)

How was your weekend? 
Is it snowing where you are?

Vitamin D, Football & Fab February Plans!

Saturday: 1 Hour of Barre3 & 2 mile walk with the dog

Saturday: 5.5 mile run (very easy pace)

Well first off, I'm just going to start by saying, what a BLOW OUT game yesterday. Right?!

 I didn't really have any emotional investment in either team so I wasn't too excited about it in the first place. Honestly, I was just looking forward to the spread of football food and the Red Hot Chili Peppers being in the half time show (they're one of my favorite bands & are awesome in concert!)
How did you feel about the game?

Well now that we've covered that, let's move on to more fitness related business... :)

How was your weekend?

I finally started feeling better on Saturday morning, which was perfect timing since I was signed up for a studio class of Barre3. 

Barre 3 is AWESOME. If you haven't heard of it, check it out. Barre is based on Ballet principles with Yoga and Pilates infusion. It's pretty much amazing and will leave you feeling the BURN when you're done. This particular Barre is Barre3 (there are a variety of franchises/names out there) but I love what Barre3 is what it stands for. There is a strong focus on a triad of principles: fitness (Barre), nourishment and connection (instructor & clients). A focus on health, fitness and encouragement?--Count me in, right up my alley! I was extremely excited to check out their Pearl District location this weekend and *praise the lord* I was finally feeling up for exercise on Saturday morning to enjoy it! Well, I could go on with how much I love Barre3 for days (and perhaps I'll revisit it for another post) but if you don't know much about it, you can check them out HERE. 

Through their website you can:

--Sign up for studio classes

--Get online classes

--Find healthy recipes

and so much more!

So, I really don't want to jinx it, but I must say, we have had some pretty amazing weather this week in the Portland area. With the sun peaking through our windows, I couldn't bear spending one more second inside the four walls of our home. I made sure to get my fair share of Vitamin D (and then some) as often as I could this weekend. I was pumped to get out and go for a run too! Oh my gosh, it was absolutely invigorating. I felt like I had come to life. Running is so cathartic for me, when I can't do it, I feel pent up. I absolutely loved the fresh air and sunshine. We don't get this often in Portland around this time of year, so I'm enjoying every second of it!

Well, we are finally in February. I thought January would never end. January was a very difficult month for me (for many reasons) but mainly because I was so sick. It really threw off my training plans and running abilities--I'm embarrassed to even share my actual January running milage . However, now that February his here, I'm moving on and I am determined to make it the month of FAB!

I like to give myself goals or values to work toward. At the beginning of each month, I create a short list of where I want to focus most, this way, I am aware of my goals and am really making them a priority. So, with that being said, here are some of my goals for the Fab month of February:

--ELIMINATE SUGAR--

 Let's be real here--> there is no health benefit to sugar, it makes me feel like garbage and I truly don't need it. Oh yeah, and it is so gosh darn ADDICTING! Now this doesn't mean that it's gone forever, but I want to know that I am not DYING to have it (honestly, I get pregnancy-level, "Gotta have it!", "I'll hurt ya if I don't get it!!" type of feelings when I'm craving sugar). I just want it out of my diet so that I can enjoy a bite here and there but not that I feel the need to have it every night after dinner (which I basically do now). That stuff is the devil, I tell ya. There are also some great alternatives to sugar that really aren't that noticeable. I found some awesome recipes that I cannot wait to share with you!
(More to come in another post about that)

--CROSS TRAINING: BARRE3--

With the killer workout this provides, I plan to incorporate this workout into my cross training days more often. I know that it will improve my muscle strength and make me a better runner because of it. 

--BE CREATIVE--

This is something that I haven't let myself do in a while and I love it. As corny as it may sound (and I don't really care), I really want to make inspiration boards for my running goals or take time to create thoughtful gifts for the people I care about most in my life. I want to take time focusing on things that I love to do for pleasure not because I have to. 

How about you?
Do you have any goals for the month of February?
How did you feel about the Super Bowl?

Oh and let's not forget!!!

THE WINNER OF MY BEARDED BROTHERS ENERGY BAR GIVEAWAY IS:
Jillian Tengood Hillman

Congrats girl! 
Please look for an email from me shortly!

**Disclosure: I am no dietitian and am not advising anyone to cut any items out of their diet. This is something that I am exploring for personal well being.**