barre – Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

Exploring New Studios: The Barre

My second studio stop in MN was at The Barre Studio in Wayzata. This is one of the only barre studios close to my new home, so I was anxious to test it out and see how it compares to Pure Barre (my workout of choice for the past three years). I signed up for the 9am Open Barre class last Sunday. Before I get into the class itself, I have to talk about the gorgeous studio and its unbelievable location. The Barre Studio is located in downtown Wayzata, right across the street to Lake Minnetonka. The studio is two stories; the first consists of the locker room and bathroom and the second level is where you can find the lobby, a small play area for daycare and the studio room. When you walk into the studio room for the first time you may gasp as the front wall is floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake! I gravitated right to the front row so my barre spot could be looking out the window entire time; talk about relaxing! Okay okay now onto the class…

The class itself reminded me SO much of a Pure Barre class. It was broken up into a warm up, thigh sprints, seat work and abs just as a Pure Barre class is structured. All the thigh and seat work were the same moves (water ski, knee dancing, etc.). The Barre Studio had a very different warm up incorporating a lot more push ups and ab work which challenges you right from the beginning of class. The ab sequence at the end of class was also a lot different; the sequence used weights to give you an extra challenge. The music was much softer in nature than a Pure Barre playlist but there was consistent instructor encouragement during every exercise. I truly enjoyed the class and felt that it was very challenging. I am very happy to have found a good local barre class 🙂

For anyone local who hasn’t checked out The Barre Studio, I highly recommend you do soon! There is also a second location in Edina, MN.

Exploring New Studios: DanceFit

This past week I decided to continue exploring new studios in the area in order to mix up my routine; and the next on my list was DanceFit Studio. I tried out their HotBarre class last Thursday and went again for a second time last night. Lets just say I have fallen in love with this little studio.. DanceFit Studio is located in Natick and offers a variety of fitness classes for all ages that focus around different types of dance. For Adult Fitness they offer Zumba, BalletFit, CardioBalletFit, Pilates, PopFit, BlastFit, HotBarre, and a Deep Stretch & Tone class. I have only been to their Hot Barre class twice but can’t speak highly enough of the owner and one of the instructors; Gina. She makes her classes up beat and very instructional as well. I learned a lot about ballet in my first class which I didn’t expect going into it. HotBarre is a quick 45 minute class in 94-96 degree heated room. It incorporates a lot of the same technique as Pure Barre but with a bigger emphasis on ballet postions and movements. Many of the rountines require small weights to add extra strength conditioning throughout the class. I really enjoyed this class because it was very different from what I am used to and fun to incorporate ballet dance into a fitness class; It brought back memories of doing Ballet as a child. The heated room allowed me to challenge myself and stretch my muscles further than I thought possible. Gina ends each class with a few minutes of stretching and breathing to make it a very relaxing experience and a perfect way to end the evening. I am excited to continue to try the rest of the adult fitness classes she offers because I know they will all be just as great. You definitely feel sore everywhere the next morning too!

DanceFit also has a studio in Brookline for those of you who live closer to the city and want to try out their classes! Another great perk is that one of their membership options is virtual classes, so you can take them from your own home or while traveling! All in all, I <b>highly</b> recommend anyone looking to switch up their routine and try something different to try out this dance fitness studio.

Sign up for their new client special and try two classes for the price of one : http://www.dancefitstudio.com/barre–fitness.html

Pure Barre in the Park

Yesterday, I got to attend “PB in the Park” a charity Pure Barre class and nutrition workshop put on by PureBarre Wellesley, Newton & Brookline. First of all, it was a gorgeous day to be outside so that in itself set the event up for success. Rachel Roberts and her PB team couldn’t have organized a better couple hours outside. When I arrived at Winthrop Park, it was a sea of red mats all perfectly aligned for class. SweetGreen had provided the team free totes and coupons to hand out to all the ladies as we arrived. The PB Teachers were collecting donations and anyone who contributed received a raffle ticket that made you eligible to win a variety of Pure Barre and David’s Tea goodies.

We started off with a nice hour of lifting, toning, and burning (lots of burning) by Hannah, Ali & Jill followed by a nutrition workshop by local health coach and soon to be PB teacher, Stephanie Ferisin. Stephanie’s class was called, “Ditch Diets: True Nourishment of the Mind and Body.” It focused on finding a balance between what you eat and your individual lifestyle. Stephanie broke down some of the common diet myths and gave us a quick overview of what food groups/types we should incorporate into each meal of the day. She also talked about the importance of having fun and making time for yourself because that impacts your overall health and your daily eating habits. She encouraged us to “play” often and to listen to our bodies to recognize things in life that bring us happiness and peacefulness. Once we had a good sweat session and learned a lot about nutrition and mindfulness we got to sample goodies from David’s Tea; what better perfect way to spend a Sunday morning?

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All of the donations collected at this class went to the MSPCA on behalf of Pure Barre & Pure Give!
If you are interested in Stephanie’s Health & Wellness coaching you can check out her website http://www.stephanieferisin.com

PureBarre: 100 Club

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Today I was super excited when my 5am alarm went off because I was off to my 100th Pure Barre class. This means I get to join the “elite” Pure Barre 100 Club (and it also means I am another 150 classes away from joining the 250 club)..you can see how you are easily challenged and addicted. I started Pure Barre about 130 days ago and have not looked back. I was hesitant to start since I was an avid runner and enjoyed the constant movement of a heavy cardio side work out. Pure Barre is the complete opposite. It is based on small tiny muscle contractions that target lifting your “seat”, toning your core, legs and arms, and burning body fat. I have seen tremendous changes in my body since I began and am amazed at how affective this workout really is. Aside from the great physical changes I have seen; the best takeaway from starting Pure Barre is the friends I have made in my 6am class! The women who have been going to the 6am class since PureBarre Wellesley opened welcomed me with open arms when I started and now are the reason I push myself to get up each morning.

Pure Barre is quickly expanding and opening new locations all over the US. If you haven’t tried it out, grab a friend and head over for a class..I promise you will be hooked!