’Tis the season for reflecting. What went well this year? What didn’t go so well? And what things do I want to focus on in the new year ahead?
I gots lots of end of the year content coming your way — it’s legit my favorite time of year content wise as a blogger! Today I wanted to chit-chat about my fitness game in 2018. After all, I am a fitness blogger — or at least that’s what I say I am for SEO purposes…
My approach to fitness has changed A LOT since I first started blogging 7+ years ago. At the time I was OBSESSED with Zumba and hated yoga. Oh the irony considering I’m a yoga teacher now.
Over the last 7 years I’ve flirted with a number of fitness loves. As a blogger I loved challenging myself to go from non-runner to marathoner. I enjoyed trying and reviewing new fitness classes throughout the city, experiencing all the latest fitness crazes.
There was my brief affair with running as I trained for a handful of half marathons and eventually the NYC marathon. I went through phases where I was a total spin junkie. I’ve always loved strength training focused classes (and still do!). And I’ve learned to love yoga, so much so that I now teach it.
This year? It’s been the year of barre. Which is the one fitness class I never, ever, ever thought I’d fall in love with.
I’m an endorphin junkie. I crave the satisfying surge of energy you get after a grueling workout. And even though I know better as a certified fitness professional, I often times convinced myself that if I didn’t leave a workout drenched in sweat and feeling like utter death, it was a waste of time.
All that changed this year, though, as I started to focus on teaching fitness as my full-time gig. Teaching can be SO taxing on your body. Like, deceptively so. I was recently talking with one of my favorite instructors and she mentioned that it took her a solid year to get back to her usual fitness regiment after she started teaching.
Demo-ing burpees in a 90 degree heated room while also shouting words of encouragement sans microphone takes a whole lot of energy! Even when you’re a ridiculously loud human like myself.
As I started to teach more and more I realized my own fitness game was suffering. I didn’t have the same drive as I used to for high intensity workouts. And honestly I was sick of being sweaty ALL the damn time. I already spend 10+ hours a week in a heated room teaching.
And so my love of barre began.
I’ve taken barre classes here and there over the years. When I worked front desk at Flywheel I loved taking Flybarre — and it was free for me. I went through a brief phrase where I’d go to Pure Barre because it worked well with my schedule. But I honestly never loved barre until I started going to Bar Method.
My good friend Leslie is a Bar Method devotee and urged me to try it for myself. I figured okay, why not, I’m game to try any workout once. I’ll admit: it wasn’t love at first sight… or pulse. I thought it was okay.
I continued to take classes though because the old Soho location was somewhat class to my apartment. It became an easy, not super sweaty, workout to squeeze in before my grad school internship or in the midst of a busy day.
The more classes I took, the more I fell in love with the workout, in particular the extreme attention to form and alignment. I started craving this class more and more to the point that I lost interest in most of the other workouts I had been doing.
Since this summer I’ve been going to Bar Method as my main workout class. Like I said, I never, ever, ever thought I’d be a “barre” girl — I’m certainly no ballerina — but look at me now.
I’m learning to listen to my body. To remember that not every workout has to be sweat-filled, make you wanna puke, hard. Sometimes the best workout for you is the one you can fit into your schedule and the one that feels good in your body right now. And for me right now barre is that workout.
OUTFIT DETAILS:
Sweat Shirt // Oversize Sweat in pink spirit // I’ve been loving crewneck sweatshirts lately when I’m on my way to barre. This one is so cozy!
Shoes // Samba Rose Sneakers // Since you wear grippy socks during barre classes the only sneakers I’ve been wearing are ones that make a fashion statement 😂 I’m OBSESSED with these pink beauties!
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Thank you adidas for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Kayla in the City and for making this blog possible!
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