“Where is your power? Don’t let any of it stay inside you, let it all out on your mat!”
Geez Hillary, I really just wanted an easy, check-that-off-my-to-do-list workout, I didn’t really want to have to actually try.
Hillary didn’t let me get away with that though in her 55-minute SoulBody Barre Unhitched class. To be fair, I was hoping we would do 5 minutes of work and then sit in child’s pose for the last 50 minutes, and also hoping that would burn the same number of calories as actually trying hard. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations.
For a 55-minute strength class though, it was not nearly as painful as you might think. I love BODYPUMP, but that class is intense. It often leaves my body extremely sore for days, with weak knees and hardly energy left to walk. This was much easier and lower impact while still making me sweat! All the individual movements were easy on their own, and when I added all those movements together, I ended up with an awesome full-body workout that left me with enough energy to still finish out my day.
Another great thing about this class as opposed to BODYPUMP, was that it didn’t require me to have my own equipment. For the workout, we needed a weighted bar and a ball, however I substituted a broom for my bar and a toilet paper roll for the ball, per Hillary’s suggestion. (TIP – clean the broom off really well before you try this…) A light broom may seem like a cop-out but trust me, it gets heavier as class goes on. The toilet paper was a fun thing to try. And it wasn’t even a problem that I ruined the whole roll with my sweat because people are no longer hoarding toilet paper and I can just buy more! What a time to be living in.
Anywho, despite me having to try harder than I anticipated, this turned out to be a very useful class. We did a lot of hip exercises which was helpful to me as I have hip issues and it felt like I was building up muscles I haven’t spent nearly enough time on recently. Also, I am positive that I have buns of steel after just this one class.
It was great for all fitness levels also. If you’re a newbie, you can rest assured that each exercise will consist of short bursts of work for each muscle that you will be able to keep up with. And if you’re fitness level is more advanced, it’s still going to give you a good burn because of all the repetition. And it’s not just good for your muscles, this class helps improve balance and mobility as well because it combines movements from ballet, yoga and Pilates.
Give this class, or any of the Barre classes, a try. And if you are looking for more low-impact workouts, swimming is always a great option! Merritt offers lessons and swim teams at multiple locations, check out more information here.
Merritt Clubs On Demand is available to members and non-members. Click here for more info or to try it out free.
