Cross-Training with Barre Classes (guest post!)

Today's post comes from a very special guest blogger! You may remember Kristi from an early ZINspiration Monday post. She is a Zumba instructor and health/fitness blogger. Today, Kristi is sharing how she uses Barre classes as a complement to Zumba.


I'm so excited to be a guest blogger for The Z Beat! I've been following along for a while now and love seeing all the instructor spotlights, music posts and of course all the other health and wellness info. I've spent the last couple years focusing on my health, making some major life changes and even became a Zumba instructor! You can read my blog at www.becomingsupersonic.com or follow me on Facebook.


Because I needed a little variety in my workouts after the holidays I decided to sign up for a 60-day challenge with my local barre studio to mix things up, and boy has it! If you are looking to tone, tighten and strengthen your arms, legs, booty, abs and back this is the workout for you. 

So what do you need to know before you step up to the barre for the first time?

• Low/No Impact: Like aqua classes, barre is a great way to work your muscles without putting lots of stress on your bones and joints. AND it's a great workout for expecting mamas. It uses small targeted movements with light weights to strengthen and plenty of repetition to build intensity.
• The music is bumpin'!: Who would have thought? I was worried that barre would be reserved with classical music playing...not true. I was VERY happy to find out that the playlist is pretty similar to my Zumba playlist!
• Work it!: Barre targets your muscles and overloads them to the point of fatigue, then stretches them out. Get ready to test your inner strength, trust me it's totally worth it!
• See and feel the difference: I'm nearly finished with my 60-day challenge and am very happy to report that I have lost several inches, my Zumba classes have become a little easier thanks to my toned and tightened muscles and my lower back (which tends to give me problems) feels strong and stable. You will see some amazing results if you stick with barre.

If think barre could be a good fit for you I encourage you to shop around and find a class that you enjoy. There are lots of different barre methods out there so don't worry if you aren't a fan of the first class you attend. When in doubt do a Yelp search or ask around and see if any of your friends have tried a class, or better yet, plan a girls night out and try out your local studio in good company.