Patch Spring Fitness Challenge: Barré Method

For the promise of looking toned, tan and fit, most women are pretty open to try just about anything, that is, if it doesn't involve surgery, harmful chemicals, and an excessive amount of money.

And, quite honestly, I'm no different.

This summer, I have big vacation plans, which involve a little over due sun exposure and swimming in the Mediterranean sea.  With that in mind, I know the dreaded trips to the mall to try on bathing suits is in my near future, so I'm on a mission to prepare myself physically, and mentally. But mental preparation... that's for a whole another blog all together. 

But where do I start on my journey to shed a few extra winter pounds so I can feel confident in my hopefully new bikini?

For me it starts with the exercise. I really enjoy exercising, and I really enjoy food. So, why deprive myself of two things I love. I figured it out. I will continue to eat the foods I enjoy and exercises my butt off - literally!

In Shelby and Utica, we have a lot of exercise options to choose from: world-class fitness centers,  24-hour gyms, Yoga and Pilates studios, phenomenal personal trainers and myriad of outdoor trails and parks.

Every week, I'm going to try out a new workout routine and document my progress and muscle pain.

For my first post, I was invited to try out a Barré class for free at the newly opened Pilates Method Studio in Shelby Township. Pilates Method Studio is located at 35160 Van Dyke. The studio features new Pilates machines, personal trainers and a small space for the Barre Method classes.

The class is offered Friday morning at 10:30 and taught by certified Barre and Pilates instructor Jami Bauer-Locricchio. Drop-ins are $22 a class and $108 for six classes.

For those of you who haven't heard of the Barré Method, it's a new craze in the fitness world that invovles, low impact, ballet based classes with elements of Yoga and Pilates.

The bar, which is the same bar used by ballet dancers, provides balance, resistance and a sort of bodily awareness.

For me, the class was a lot of fun because I was a former dancer and it brought back fond memories of being in countless hours of ballet class. I think Lynn Byrnes  from Washington Township, who said she pulled out her old pink ballot slippers from when she was a dancer, felt the same way I did. A little gitty, challenged to do the moves we once practiced for hours with the same grace and most of all, exhausted!

But don't be intimidated if you're not a former dancer. The class is for anyone who wants to create long, lean muscle tone and get a darn good workout in between.

After about ten minutes of warm up on our arms- before we even got to the bar - my muscles were shaking from my own body resistance. Then we moved to the bar for another 45-minutes of killer kicks, squats, pleats and muscle pulses.

Several minutes in, my legs are quivering under me and it felt like someone had drilled holes in my glutes.

I am not going to lie, the feeling in my but and legs lasted for a few days, but I don't mind, too much, because then I know it was really working.

We finish off with a healthy dose of abs and stretches.

At every turn, I wanted to put my leg down and quit, but Jami encouraged the class that we would be physically rewarded if we fought through the muscle discomfort and kept going.

Afterward, I felt like a million bucks and my shoulders stood a little taller and my core stronger. I would definitely go back for more.

For information on the Barre class or the Pilates Method Studio, call 586.677.2700.

Now, for my next post... What type of exercise should I try. Suggestions anyone?