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Celebrating 5 Years of Barre and My 5 Tips for Creating a Healthy and Long Lasting Relationship with Exercise
This Sunday marks an important milestone (and also my mother's birthday which I am excited to be able to celebrate with her in person for the first time in a LONG time!) - it's my five year anniversary of barre!!! It is no exaggeration to say that barre has changed my life - it has become an important part of my identity and was the impetus for so many of the other healthy habits I have formed, things I have accomplished, and invaluable relationships that I have formed throughout the years. Since this time last year, my lifetime barre stats have increased to a total of 2,479 hours of taking…
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There is Still Plenty of Time to Finish 2018 Strong!
Although there is probably not a word strong enough to express just how much I loathe the colder weather and precipitation that accompanies it, I have to admit that I do enjoy this time of year. I'm a "finisher;" someone who gets a bigger kick out of squeezing the VERY LAST drop of toothpaste out of the tube as opposed to feeling satisfaction in starting a new one. I like to reach a point of completion on a personal or work project whether that is in total or just my small part of the big picture. This is in contrast to an "opener" who really gets enthusiastic about starting new…
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Barre Better: Breaking Up with Bad Habits at the Barre
So lately in an effort to fix some of the ongoing issues and imbalances that I have within my own body, I've been calling on some extra expert advice by taking 1:1 Pilates sessions with Ireland's Master Teacher Trainer up in Dublin. I have to say that something that continues to amaze me is how often (in virtually every aspect of life) there is such a leap between good and outstanding. And when it comes to an eye for detail and understanding of body mechanics, she is outstanding. However, although her insight is invaluable and there have been several things which I hadn't considered previously, I am particularly struck by the…
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The Wisdom Of Joseph Pilates – An OG of Positive Psychology
I had the opportunity to spend all of last weekend in London in an anatomy course specifically designed for Pilates instructors. Since I love Pilates and I love learning - it's safe to say that it was time well spent! The incredibly intricate and masterful design of the human body is beyond spectacular, so although my brain was completely overloaded after the two full day sessions, I would have been happy spending at least another two weeks immersed in it all! There's so much to learn about the structure, composition, mechanisms and the list goes on, that I left feeling in awe and compelled to find some more space in…
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10 Minute Barre Arms Workout
Before barre, I honestly never thought too much about arms. Mine or anyone else's. Although I did the typical (but unhealthy) "Mean Girls" dissection of my body and its flaws, my arms were towards the end of the list of concerns, but not necessarily a point of pride either. I just didn't pay much attention. But when I started barre, I did notice that many of my classmates had incredibly sculpted and toned limbs and I remember after only about a month of consistent classes receiving many compliments on my recent acquisition of said arms. The transformation in my body in such a short amount of time AND the fact…
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Foundational Habits Part Two: Exercise
As renowned sports-medicine physician Dr. Jordan D. Metzl wrote for Time in its special edition The Science of Exercise, "exercise is a miracle drug… take it often, and you'll live a longer, healthier life. Your medical costs will be lower, you'll sleep better at night, and your workdays will be more productive. Your mood will improve and your risk of developing almost any chronic disease will drop. It works for just about everyone who takes it, young or old, and if done correctly, it has few or no negative side effects. Every dose is 100% effective - even small ones. It's the most powerful, readily available drug in the world. …
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Home Cardio Barre Workout
If you've been in any of my barre classes lately, you've probably noticed - they're getting a bit sweatier! That's not only due to the nearly suspiciously nice weather we've had in Cork lately, but also because I've been trying to incorporate a bit more HIIT-type, cardio bursts either on the mat or at the barre as of late. For some reason, it just seems seasonally appropriate - and it's a lot of fun! You get your heart rate up, releasing an extra little rush of endorphins on top of the already euphoric experience of barre, and well, it's addictive! And so I've been doing my own home cardio barre…
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The Impact of an Inch: Kicking Your Barre Workout Up a Notch (But Just a Notch!)
We are often quick to dismiss the magnitude of small, but consistent progress in the right direction. However, as nearly anyone who has achieved something great (I'm talking anything from inventing a truly disruptive product to just making it through the day without losing your cool and everything in between) will attest, it's all about the little steps forward which over time have a cumulative effect. C.S. Lewis said it well: "isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different," - a truth I am constantly reminding myself of when I fail to recognize growth or become discouraged with my pace of change. And…
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Lifted Seat Barre-Less Barre Home Workout
Within our lifetime, the “lifted seat” has definitely gained popularity in terms of aesthetics en vouge, however there are actually a lot of real benefits to strengthening our posterior (glutes and hamstrings) and barre is an extremely effective way to do so. The isometric contractions which underlie so many of our exercises in barre help you to deeply connect, getting those glutes to fire and yielding unprecedented results when it comes to building your backside. Aside from appearances, what are the benefits of a strong and lifted seat? Our glutes are one of the biggest and most important muscle groups in our bodies, comprised of the minimus, medius, and maximus…
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Barre is “My Happy Place” :: Why Exercise Makes Us Happier
In recent conversation with a friend (after barre – OBVIously), we were talking about upcoming weekend events, which led us to lament those days when life gets in the way of “barre time.” Now in this case, she was looking forward to some special occasions and fun things which of course she was more excited about than if it were extra hours at the office, but nonetheless we both agreed that missing a chance to shake at the barre was never something we dealt with well. Although we realized with a laugh that this is probably not something everyone would understand, we completely agreed – life is better at the…
