the origins of barre classes... check it out!

photo by jaimiearnold.com

Phew!  I sure have been one busy lady...  In addition to all the usual activities, I'm in the process of finding wonderful yoga teachers for our mind body program at exhale Battery Wharf, which has been a lot of fun!  I swear I have not forgotten about this blog and am working on the intention-setting series as promised, as well as getting ready for a site upgrade coming soon.  Stay tuned for all that!  In the meantime, check this out...

Core Fusion co-founder Fred DeVito has written a great article on the origins of Core Fusion and other barre classes at http://www.ecaworldfitness.com/news/origin-barre-classes.

More good stuff coming soon...
Andrea

the season of giving



photo by jaimiearnold.com. dorky embellishments by me.

 What an incredible holiday season it has been so far this year.  At last, the gifts are piled under the Christmas tree and there is nothing left to do but enjoy the glow of the lights and anticipate the excitement and joy on the kids' faces in the morning.  We've visited with loved ones, and are looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.  We've watched our favorite holiday movies, and exchanged a few too many cookies and cupcakes with our wonderful neighbor.  I really do feel blessed.

Last week I had the honor of travelling to exhale spa in New York City for training.  I immersed myself in the classes of some incredibly dynamic, skilled and talented Core Fusion teachers there, and even got to teach a class at exhale's Central Park South location while I was in town.  What a treat!  When I returned from New York I received an early Christmas present from the amazing lululemon athletica team at the Prudential Center when they invited me into their ambassador program!  Wow, let me tell you, that was a huge goal realized.  :)  I see the many gifts around me and I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude.

I was scanning the aisles at Target a few days ago to see if anything caught my eye to put the finishing touches on my holiday shopping list, when a memory from about eleven years ago floated to the surface of my mind.  I was in a Target store (or something similar), buying paint to dress up the hand-me-down dresser for my baby's room.  I was a very young mother, with very little money.  I was so filled with judgment for the people I saw around me doing their holiday shopping.  It seemed like such a completely mindless exercise.  I remember thinking, "They don't even know what they're shopping for, they just want to spend their money on something!" 

The memory struck me because I found myself now, eleven years later, doing the same thing.  I wasn't really shopping for anything in particular, I just wanted to give something to the people I love that might make them happy.  I have enough now.  And I want to share.  And that doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me anymore.  This got me thinking about how I've judged the whole "Consumer American Christmas" experience a little harshly in the past as well.  Do we overdo it?  Probably.  But there is something incredibly gratifying about gift-giving.  It really makes you feel good.  And let's face it, receiving gifts feels pretty wonderful too.  Just ask any child, they'll tell you honestly!  ;)

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, whether for you it is a deeply religious holy day, or just a cherished custom, I wish you all the joys of the season, the giddy, beautifully human experience of giving, and receiving.

xoxo
Andrea

six week core evolution part 4 of 4: follow up

It has been over 3 months since I began my Six Week Core Evolution journey.  I am happy to say that my food choices continue to be much improved.  I'm NOT on a diet; I've just adopted healthier eating habits.  I don't miss the foods that were dragging me down, and my total weight loss hit the 10 pound mark and has leveled off there.  That is even more than I intended to lose, but I feel great where I am.

Our lives tend to fall into cycles.  Sometimes we go through periods when we become distracted from taking care of ourselves.  It happens!  There is no need to judge ourselves harshly or get discouraged, we can always decide to reclaim control.  A 6 week cycle is a great way to get back on track.  6 weeks is a manageable commitment, and one that can really yield results!  Having the ongoing support of a nutritionist, community of teachers, and fellow students are vital to keeping us focused on our intentions and give us the motivation to see things through.  It worked well for me!  If you have any questions it would be my pleasure to answer them... let me know!

:) Andrea

exhale spa six week core evolution part 3: exercise

photo by jaimiearnold.com

One of the main elements of exhale spa's Six Week Core Evolution program is exercise, specifically taking at least four mind body classes per week.  Being a mind body teacher, my job keeps me in shape. However, there is a big difference between teaching a class and taking a class!  (When I teach a barre class I "take" maybe 10% of it. I spend a lot of time moving around the room and adjusting students' positions.)  Unfortunately my personal practice (outside of teaching) had really dwindled over the winter.  These things happen! I was ready to step it up. 

The barre classes I took included Core Fusion classes and A to Z Method classes.*  I chose to include the Core Fusion Cardio classes that I taught in my records because I "take" approximately 75% of these classes while I teach them, and I do get very sweaty. :)

Here are my exercise records for my Six Week Core Evolution:

Week 1:  took 2 barre classes, taught 2 cardio
Week 2:  took 4 barre classes, taught 3 cardio
Week 3:  took 3 barre classes, taught 4 cardio
Week 4:  took 2 barre classes, taught 3 cardio
Week 5:  took 4 barre classes, taught 3 cardio
Week 6:  took 2 barre classes, 1 Core Fusion Sport, 1 yoga, taught 2 cardio

It felt so good to get back into a regular practice!  I enjoyed seeing my muscle tone increase, especially in my arms and shoulders as a result of all the Core Fusion Cardio classes.  (Lots of deltoid work with light weights, and lots of downward dog!)  Anyone who has committed to a regular barre practice can attest to the amazing results: flatter stomach, crazy core strength, leaner legs, etc.

For those who don't happen to be teachers, I recommend 5 barre classes a week for best results.  Some people like to attend even more frequently, as many as 8-9 classes a week.  As long as you truly work mindfully, and listen to your body, then great.  Yes, it's expensive (splurge on a membership, it's worth it).  Yes, it's a commitment, but every hour you invest will yield amazing benefits!

:) Andrea

*I included workouts at the other studio where I teach in my program.  The official program offered at exhale would only include classes at exhale spa. :)

interview with fred devito on chicagonow.com

photo by jaimiearnold.com

Here is a recent interview with one of my mentors, Core Fusion co-founder Fred DeVito.


http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/buick-driven/2010/07/too-hot-to-run-yoga-too-boring-exhales-core-fusion-is-perfect-balance.html

six week core evolution part 2: food records

Photo by appleogen.be

One of the most important things about working with Julie was the ongoing support that she gave me.  Each day I would email her my food records, along with any other nutrition questions that came up along the way.  She was always accessible, knowledgable, and most of all, encouraging.

Bloggers are not supposed to bore readers with topics like "what I had for lunch" ;) but I thought I would go ahead and share some sample food records in order to illustrate what a typical day looked like using (my interpretation of) the guidelines she gave me.  (These include my exercise records also.  I will elaborate more on the exercise portion of my journey in another post.)

5/11/10

6:00 am


whole wheat wrap, 2 eggs, a little avocado, salsa, a little 2% yogurt

1 peach

black tea 1 sugar

6:30-10:00

Taught 2 Core Fusion classes, 1 Core Fusion cardio

10:00

KIND bar

10:30

Took 1 Core Fusion class

12:00

Green salad, 1/2 cup tuna no mayo, balsamic vinaigrette, a few kidney beans

Pita chips, 1 Tbsp hummus

1:00

small peach

1:30

1/2 banana, 2% fage strawberry yogurt

5:00

pasta w/ grilled chick, broc, snow peas, olive oil, flax oil, mushrooms


5/20/10

7:30

smoothie: one tsp instant coffee, one scoop chocolate whey protein powder, 1/2 banana, 3/4 cup rice milk, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries

930-11:45

Taught 1 Core Fusion, 1 Core Fusion Cardio

12:30

KIND bar

1:30

green salad, flax and olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grilled chicken strips

3:00

Fage 2% yogurt w/ strawberry

5:30

1 dark chocolate square

6:00

green salad w/ carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, a little grilled chicken, italian dressing

6:45

grilled cod w/ olive oil and parsley

grilled peppers, mushrooms and onions

1/2 cup basmati rice

8:30

a few pita chips, 1 tsp olive tapenade

9:30

small green apple, 1 tsp peanut butter

six week core evolution part 1: nutrition

PHOTO BY JAIMIEARNOLD.COM

After I finished school this past spring, life for my family grew (a little) less hectic.  I knew I wanted to make healthier food choices, but didn't really know how. I thought I would have to spend tons of time peeling, chopping, and cooking, planning my meals way in advance, never eating on the run. Between my children and my job, I wasn't sure I would be able to make the shift from the haphazard "meals" I was used to. I decided to meet with exhale spa's nutritionist Julie Starr-Wood.  I suspected I wasn't feeding myself and my family as well as I could be.  I wanted to learn more about nutrition so that I could try to improve our eating habits, in a way that would fit our lifestyle.

Having come from a Women's Studies background, I've read and thought so much about women's body image issues and disordered eating that I had a suspicious view of "dieting," and therefore nutrition.  (Just consider the famous book title "Fat is a Feminist Issue".) 

Here was my pre-Julie food philosophy:

• "Dieting" equaled leaving hunger unsatisfied.
• Eating light left a person hungry and looking for more food.
• Eating heavier foods left a person full and therefore they would eat less and still feel satisfied.
• The only truly healthy way to control one's weight was through exercise since dieting was restrictive, joyless, and only produced temporary changes.

  

Due to this philosophy, a typical day of eating for me frequently involved some combination of the following:

• bacon egg and cheese sandwich
• tea with cream and sugar
• oatmeal raisin cookies
• whole milk
• Ben and Jerry's ice cream
• pizza
• apples with lots of peanut butter
• pasta with cream sauce... you get the picture.

Fortunately, I wasn't binging on these foods, and I have a job and a practice that keep me active and stoke my metabolism.  I knew I hadn't been exercising as much as I normally like to, so I figured I was about 5 pounds heavier than the weight I like best for my body.  However, when I stepped on the scale at my nutrition appointment, I was surprised to learn that I was 10 pounds heavier than I would have liked.  (Due to my anti-diet stance, I rarely weighed myself.)

When I mentioned this to Julie, and told her what I considered to be my ideal weight, she was very reassuring.  She had seen my food records, and felt certain that I could easily incorporate healthy changes that would cause this little bit of extra weight to come off.  We discussed some of my beliefs about food and dieting (I don't think Julie ever used the word "diet" by the way.)  She asked me how I felt physically and I told her I was feeling quite groggy and tired a lot of the time.  I needed a nap after lunch just about every day.  Her initial advice was for me to temporarily eliminate dairy from my diet, especially "cream," and see if it made a difference in how I felt.  I told her I would try.  She also advised me to drink two 32 oz. water bottles with just a touch of 100% organic cranberry juice per day to help flush toxins out of my body.

Some of the new ideas I took away from this initial appointment:

• Whole milk is not more "natural" than low-fat milk, because it is not "natural" for adult humans to drink cows' milk in the first place.
• Peanut butter is high in saturated fat, so a little goes a long way.
• I can feel full without eating high fat foods.
• The heavy foods I was eating are a lot of work for my body to process, and were probably making me tired.
• Nutrition is not just for people who don't exercise, athletic people can benefit from choosing healthy foods too!  ;)

I know these may not sound like major breakthroughs, but believe it or not, they were for me!

Julie promised to email me an eating plan within a few days, and sent me on my way.  Eliminating dairy would provide enough challenge for those first few days anyway!  One step at a time... To be continued!

six week core evolution

exhale spa is offering 6-week, boot camp-style sessions incorporating nutrition, group exercise classes, and other goodies to help guests make speedy progress toward their wellness goals.  They are calling it the Six Week Core Evolution.

After letting my own practice and nutrition take a back burner to school and other commitments for several months, I was ready for a jump start.  I recently passed the 6-week mark in my own Core Evolution, and I am amazed to say that I have lost 8.5 pounds!  Who knew?  Working with a nutritionist, I learned a lot about how I could easily adopt healthier habits, and I plan to continue these habits into the future, so this process is still ongoing for me.  I look forward to sharing more details of my journey, and things I learned along the way, in future posts.  Stay tuned. :)

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