The weather is finally starting to heat up here in Louisiana, which puts my mind in gear to get in shape. If you're anything like me, I always stay in an exercise routine longer if I have a class to go to at a certain time and day during the week. In addition, I think the camaraderie you feel with others in the class is a real motivator to keep you coming back. With this being said, I wanted to share details about four exercise classes that I feel are great to incorporate into a routine in order to get a banging body for summer.
1. Hot yoga - According to mayoclinic.org, hot yoga is a high-intensity form of yoga performed in a studio that is heated to 105 F (40 C) and has a humidity of 40 percent. Another name for hot yoga is Bikram. Bikram yoga is a 90-minute program that consists of a series of 26 postures. The postures require lengthy, forceful and well-controlled contractions of all major muscle groups. The demanding nature of the poses and the heat are designed to raise your heart rate and tire your muscles. Because of its intensity and potential to cause heat-related illness, hot yoga isn't for everyone. Be sure you check with your doctor before trying hot yoga if you have any health concerns. For those that watch Dancing with the Stars, the female pro dancers swear by this type of yoga.
2. Pilates - Pilates.com describes this workout as an innovative and safe system of mind-body exercise using a floor mat or a variety of equipment. It evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates and can dramatically transform the way your body looks, feels and performs. Pilates builds strength without excess bulk, capable of creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen. It is a safe, sensible exercise system that will help you look and feel your very best. It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates also improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain. I've taken Pilates before and the great thing about this class is that everyone really does the moves at a level that is comfortable for that person. Pilates can be altered so anyone can benefit from the class. Jennifer Aniston is one of the many celebs that are loyal to Pilates.
4. Barre - Barreonline.com says a barre workout is set to upbeat music (to keep you motivated), and lasts 60-minutes, starting with a warm-up and sequence of upper-body exercises using light free weights, push-ups and plank. The bicep, tricep, shoulder, chest and back muscles are targeted here. Then, the workout moves into a series of ballet barre or floor exercises that focus on the thighs – which we then stretch. The seat series follows, using the ballet barre or floor. We finish off the seat with more stretching. It’s onto abs after that, followed by more stretching and some back extensions. We wrap up the class with our fun “back dancing” and our final stretch. I have never taken this before, but I was in ballet class for 10 years growing up and I still have leg muscles to show for it today. Kelly Ripa and Natalie Portman are among the celebrities who use barre as a workout.
Hope these classes help you spice up your workout routine and get you on track for a bathing suit body!
Bridget
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