Raising The Barre

If you've been following along with Mimosas and Lipstick, you may remember that I joined Weight Watchers about two months ago and have lost about 17 pounds! It has literally changed my life. But these last few weeks with a lot of family troubles popping up, I haven't really felt motivated to work out like I once was. And, obviously haven't really been seeing positive results because of this. My anxiety has been really high these last few weeks. Although, overall, it has been manageable, I tend to let all that stress go when I work out. So by not working out, my anxiety stays, and it's a cycle! Anyone with me?

I have been feeling like I'm in a workout rut. I haven't been as excited as I sued to be to find time in the day to work out. I wasn't looking forward to it anymore. So I knew I needed to spice it up!

When the Barre Code Oak Park and I decided to team up, I have no idea that when September hit I would be feeling this way - I guess everything works out how it's supposed to! Barre is a mix of pilates, yoga and ballet. The Barre Code was founded in Chicago by Jillian Lorenz and Arianna Chernin in 2010.

This past Tuesday I was tired, irritable, and not in the mood to work out. But I signed up for the BRAWL class and made myself go.

I was blown away! It was my first class of the month and just walking into the studio, I knew it was an atmosphere I wanted to be a part of. Everyone was so nice and friendly. they made me feel right at home.

The studio is on Lake Street in Downtown Oak Park. It's crisp, clean, and the perfect vibe to sweat your butt off. There are four types of classes. BRAWL happens to be a high cardio, kickboxing workout. I can't remember the last time I did that many squat jumps of burpees! But the instructor made it fun. The music is fast-paced, and the movements are spread out into combos.

I definitely was tapping out, and not completing every movement to the best of my ability. The planks and squat jumps could have been better on my end. I'm excited to see how I progress throughout this month-long journey.

I am also taking part in the Back To Sweat, which is an 18-class challenge in only 21 days! It's going to be tough, but I'm excited to see how Barre will change my body. Make sure you check out their website or the app for more information!