barre3 Challenge.


If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have noticed that I have posted several things about the barre3 Challenge this week, and if you follow me on Instagram you probably have no idea what this is so I wanted to talk a little about what I'm doing and why this is important to me, and how I want to support others.

Back in March I posted about the very long, very cold winter we had, and how I somehow found some extra pounds in my mid-section that were not there previously.  And truth be told, I didn't do anything about it.  Over the summer I did a lot of reading (and I have lots of good books to tell you about!) and one was a memoir and it was talking about barre class and how it pretty much kicks your ass, so I decided to look into it and see what I could find out.  Long story short, the mom of one of Greta's preschool friends was opening a new studio right nearby within the coming months, and she was offering free classes to try it out.  So I went.  And it kicked my ass.  I could not walk down the stairs properly for three days afterwards my thighs were so sore.  And yet, I wanted to go back.  If one hour could make my muscles work that hard, what would happen if I did it more?

Now, I am not an exerciser.  I'm not a runner, a mover, a shaker, I don't particularly enjoy it and don't actively seek out movement activities.  But this class, which is pretty low-impact and doesn't require anything fancy of you but to be there and work hard, flipped something in my brain that makes me want to go and make my muscles stronger and make me feel better overall.  It's like I finally found my thing, and it's an addictive sort of thing.

The studio opened in November and is a franchise of barre3, a national company based out of Portland.  Ever six months or so, barre3 offers up a challenge to members as a way to get them back on track.  For January, this means going to four one-hour studio classes in a week, as well as trying one new barre3 recipe and doing one 10-minute online workout.  Participants are encouraged to eat pretty clean, sticking to as many whole foods as possible, and keep away from alcohol and coffee.  It's a detox motivator for the new year.

I decided to sign up because I want to be rid of the flab.  I don't feel happy with the way I look and the only way that's going to change is if I do something about it.  I have access to the studio and I want to make going a habit.  I eat pretty well but can always do better, and while I don't drink alcohol at all or coffee very often, I do drink a lot of tea, so I'm trying to drink it without added sugar.  I'm also trying to drink more water and just be more conscious about what I am eating and when I'm eating it.

I'm sharing it on Instagram not to try and push it on anyone else or to make anyone feel badly about themselves, but as a push to myself that I can do it.  It's a little reminder to me to keep going, and there is a whole community posting and hashtagging so I can see that I'm not alone in it.  It would be nice to get some positive comments from people who see what I'm doing because frankly, trying to shed some flab is not fun and even with the best intentions we need a little positive feedback and motivation.

And so from that I decided that if I see someone posting about making a change for the betterment of their health, or starting an exercise program that's going to be tough, that I am going to like that photo and leave a comment because how awesome are you for making a change.  I want to support other people that I know who are trying to do something positive for themselves- it takes very little to be supportive of someone, especially when you are online.

Anyone else starting a new exercise program this month?  Anyone looking for a good program to kickstart them?  Anyone else just really want a donut?

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