I’ve completed my second week of building a fitness habit with some success but also a little bit of a slow-down in enthusiasm and motivation. In fact, I encountered a hurdle we all do – a very hectic work week – that kept me from fulfilling my goal of doing some activity everyday. Rather than beat ourselves up about this, I suggest we make up for it by choosing a more active set of weekend activities. Which is what I did! I tried two of the items on my bucket list: a Pure Barre class and a walking adventure on The 606 Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago!
PURE BARRE
Pure Barre class is 50 minutes and is a low-impact, full-body workout using the ballet barre and small isometric movements to target small muscle groups. I’ve heard many women say it changes their bodies completely because it makes you leaner, longer and stronger – like a ballerina. There were only 3 pieces of very small equipment involved and we hardly used them, so it wasn’t intimidating. The rest was all about making very small, quick movements using the resistance of your body weight. Example: we sat against the wall and pushed upward in quick pulses against the barre – weird, but effective. I was sore the next day – in the good way that makes you feel like you really worked.
The class cost me $25 dollars for one, which is a little too expensive for me. I do think I will go back but probably only once in a while. For those who fall in love with it, they offer a $100 unlimited month for new members. One additional expense is that you need to wear these sticky socks so that you don’t slip on the floor and distract yourself and your muscles from the actual work out.
THE 606 BLOOMINGDALE TRAIL
I spent an hour strolling along The 606, Chicago’s less-glamorous version of the Highline (NYC). What I loved about spending time up here on this sunny Sunday was the lack of cars and fumes and trash from the streets. Since I moved here two years ago, people have been waiting patiently for this elevated pedestrian and bike path to open up, so it’s pretty wonderful to finally walk along it. My favorite part was getting a peek at people’s roof-top gardens and the street graffiti I normally wouldn’t see. Plus, every .2 of a mile is marked along the 2.7 mile trail, so you can easily pace yourself. There are also entry-point maps lining the trail so you always know where you are and when you can exit the trail.
I’ll definitely return for weekend strolls, but I’d echo all the criticism I’ve heard that the trail is a bit too narrow for the high levels of feet plus bicycles trying to share the space. Just keep your eyes peeled while you’re up there for bikes coming up behind you!
PLANNING AHEAD FOR WEEK 3:
The number one lesson I learned this week is that planning ahead for healthy activities is critical to successfully completing them – especially when your week gets hectic. When I get busy, I’ll almost always put my healthy habits aside before anything else. That’s counter-productive because I deal with the stress so much better when I’m exercising regularly. My recommendation for combating this is – if there’s a class you want to try, go ahead and reserve your spot, pay for it ahead of time and put it in your calendar. I’ve already done this for the next two items on my bucket list I’ll be trying this coming week. My first Flywheel class is happening this Thursday morning, and my first AIR Foundation class is scheduled for Saturday morning! Stay tuned for my report back next week!
Belle
BELLE’S FITNESS BUCKET LIST:
- Flywheel – I’ve heard this bananas spinning class will change your life. How on earth is that true? I will report back.
- AIR – aerial fitness class using silks to build core and muscle strength. Will pretend I’m a circus performer.
- Starved Rock State Park – hike along trails and see waterfalls, just a 90-mile drive from Chicago. Why have I waited so long to check this out?!
- Brooklyn Boulders, Chicago – I’m afraid of heights but I’m also curious about rock climbing. This could be great or terrible.
- COMPLETED – Pure Barre – low-impact, full-body workout using the ballet barre and small isometric movements.
- COMPLETED – The 606 – run/walk along Chicago’s new elevated pedestrian path.
