Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

Have you heard of the POUNDfit workout? If not, you probably will soon.  This new workout began when two girls, Kirsten & Christina, blended their lifestyles and passions together to create this unique and incredible workout.

I first caught wind of the POUND workout via Social Media and was waiting for a studio nearby to become part of the “POUND Posse.” I was so excited when I found out that DanceFit Studio in Natick, MA was in the process of training their fitness instructors to teach the Pound Workout. They just released the workout class a few weeks ago and I was finally able to make it to a class this past week.

The workout is so much fun and really works your whole body! My instructor, Lindy, made the class even better with her upbeat and fun attitude. She was laughing, cheering us on, and throwing in some spontaneous dance moves as we pounded through the class.

POUND is a full-body cardio workout, combining light resistance with constant simulated drumming of the Ripstix™; which are small weighted drumsticks. The workout brings together cardio, pilates, isometric movements, plyometric and Isometric poses into a 45-minute class. The workout is said to burn between 600 and 900+ calories while strengthening and sculpting a lot of infrequently used muscles.

You might read this post, then decide to watch a YouTube video of a class, and immediately think you need to be extremely coordinated to complete this workout…but you really do not have to be! It is super easy to follow and not complicated at all. Your heart rate sky rockets and your movements become synced to each beat in the specially created playlists. Each 2-4 minute song is created with interval peaks and extended fat burning sequences, providing you with the best workout in the shortest span of time.

As if you thought this workout couldn’t get better, it can. The drumming and rhythmic technique incorporated into this entire class has a proven science of health benefits behind it. The Pound Website states the numerous benefits:

• Significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol
• Substantially increase the level of natural killer cells (immune stem cells)
• Boost the immune system
• Lower blood pressure
• Synchronize the cerebral hemispheres
• Stimulate the release if endogenous opioids (endorphins)!
• Increase alpha waves, associated with relaxation and stress relief
• Decrease chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue and trauma-related discomfort
• Increase IQ in children and young adults
• RHYTHM permeates the entire brain, mobilizing structures used for motor skills, coordination, feedback, listening and memorization. This improves focus, skills and higher level thinking and decision-making skills.

I strongly encourage everyone to see if a studio near them has a POUND workout and for those local in MA, definitely make a stop by DanceFit Studio to try this amazing class! Check out the official Pound Website to find studios in your area.

For anyone nearby: Lindy is hosting POUND & Pour event (POUND
followed by a happy hour) at DanceFIT on Sunday, January 25 at 6pm.
It’s a donations only class, and all money raised will go directly
toward the American Liver Foundation and will help her achieve my
fundraising goal for the Boston Marathon.  If you plan on attending please bring a cash donation to class or donate directly to Lindy’s Run for Research donation page:
http://go.liverfoundation.org/site/TR/RunforResearch/NewEngland?px=1913082&pg=personal&fr_id=4420

This article also appears on Women’s iLab to inspire the next generation of female leaders.