Pull Up A Chair: How to Create the Barre Studio Experience at Home

Before I launch into (what I hope will be) a very informative post, I would like to mention a few changes to A Mom Walks into a Barre:

We're now on Facebook! 

Yes, faithful readers, you can keep up with the blog and post comments, questions, or vehement (but  respectful) counterpoints on Facebook, and you don't even need to be my friend. Isn't that nice? Click here for the the link to 'like' the page.

Also, blog posts now have labels! You can search topics that interest you, or you can pop some popcorn, sit back and read your favorite rants. 

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Ok, back to the topic at hand. Several readers have written asking about barre workouts at home, which workouts I like, what do I use for a ball or a barre, etc. Until very recently, I've exclusively been a home exerciser. While I still recommend taking some live classes with a good, trained instructor, nothing beats the convenience and cost-effectiveness of getting your lalas in the comfort of your own home. I love my classes, but they can be pricey and time-consuming, so I supplement with workouts at home. Here's how you can, too.

The Workout

A few months ago, I compiled a list of my favorite barre DVDs. Several readers added their faves in the comments section, so check out this link for the skinny on DVDs.

If you prefer online streaming workouts, Suzanne Bowen Fitness and Barre3 offer large libraries of workouts at very reasonable monthly rates. Both have free trials, too. The Bar Method has launched a streaming service with a variety of subscription options. Jessica Smith also has a wide selection of FREE workouts on Youtube, some of which are barre-focused.

If you need a book workout, The Physique 57 Solution is great, and the paperback edition comes with a 30-minute compilation DVD. I used the book when that mean girl storm Sandy knocked out our power for days. It gives detailed instructions of different exercises and suggested sequencing. The Bar Method blog recently posted these suggestions for making your own music playlist.

The Barre

In a class, participants use a wall-mounted barre. It provides light stability for some moves, or you can pull off the barre for certain exercises. Home workouts do not require a super-stable type barre, because obviously most people don't have one. They all say, 'you can just use a chair!' and often show someone doing the workout with a regular dining room chair.

I don't like using a chair.Your support should ideally be hip-height and most chairs are not high enough for me. They're also not very sturdy. You can put weights on the seat to stabilize it, but I'd suggest using something else. A counter top can work nicely, as well as a stair railing. That's what I usually use here at home:

My railing can support my weight AND Darling Son #2's. This is definitely an advanced variation.

If you don't have any suitable surface, you might want to invest in a barre. Here are a few options:

• The best barre I can recommend is Fluidity.

Yes, it's that's sturdy, though anyone over 30lbs. should not try this move. 

Like other barre brands, Fluidity is based on Lotte Berk's original method. Creator Michelle Austin launched a set of DVDs and this barre for home use in 2006. The workouts are dull as dry toast, with mind-numbing music on loop, but the barre is a tank. It was designed by MIT engineers and simulates a wall-mounted barre.

Pros: It's VERY sturdy. If set up properly, you can do all the same moves you'd do in a class with a wall-mounted barre--chair, waterski, flat- and round-back abs, you name it. You can adjust the height, and it folds up for storage. The whole set comes with other toys--a ball, attached mat, resistance bands, and the boring DVDs.

Cons: It's expensive. The whole set is almost $500 retail. I got mine on Craig's List for a lot less. There's one for sale right now in my area for only $50. It's also wicked heavy, so even though it folds up and has wheels to maneuver it around, it's a pain to set up and take down everyday. Mine lives under the guest bed because I just don't have room to leave it up. But if you have the space for it, it's awesome.

• The Portable Ballet Barre is also a good option. It's priced around $100. There are a number of different types. I found a whole website devoted to portable barres, www.balletbarrestore.com.

Pros: Adjustable height, pretty stable and easy to move around. This is the barre you see used most often in  videos.

Cons: I don't have one, but it doesn't look like it folds up or comes apart very easily, so you'd need to have space to leave it up. You also can't do moves that involve pulling off the barre, but again, those are not usually included in home workouts.

• I've also heard good things about the Cardio Barre. I'm not a fan of the workouts, but I'm told the barre is good.

Pros: It's lightweight, comes apart easily for storage, and it's priced around $90.

Cons: Maybe $90 is still more than you'd like to spend?

In which case, you can always go the DIY route:

• You can make a barre using PVC piping. Here's a link for instructions.

Pros: CHEAP. Really, the materials would cost just a few dollars. It's also very lightweight and easy to move around.

Cons: It's very lightweight and easy to move around. I used one in a community class I took and the instructors used sandbags to stabilize the base for us. That may not be entirely necessary, but you might find it not quite sturdy enough on it's own. FIY. Also, you need space to leave it up because it wouldn't come apart after using the sealant.

Now moving on to BALLS.

Most barre workouts use a ball. A ball can recruit more muscles in an exercise and can help stabilize your joints in certain moves.

A ball between the inner thighs uses more lower body muscles and recruits the core.

Instructors typically refer to them as 'playground balls' because they're just like the balls small people use in gym class. Most big name studios have balls for sale with their logo printed on it, but you can skip the high-price studio balls and just buy one at any toy shop or general merchandise retailer like Target.

Here are a few from my collection:

My fave is my Physique 57 ball... and not just because it's Physique 57. It's about 27" in circumference, the size used in most workouts. The material is not as thick as other ones I've used, and it has some springyness to it (I'm sure that's a real word.) If you order a Physique 57 DVD set, however, this is not the ball that comes with it anymore (though you can still buy the original in the NYC studios.) The new balls they use are more like the one on the left.

The advantage is that it's easy to inflate with a straw, rather than having to use a needle pump. You can inflate it easily with the straw, and it packs well for travel. This ball was a gift, so I don't know exactly where to buy it, but I believe it's similar to this one.

You can use a ball between the knees in c-curve abs and another behind the lower back for support.
Six-year-old under the knees is optional.

The smallest ball (16" in circumference) is closer to the size that's used at Pure Barre studios. It can be handy for certain exercises in other videos, too. For example, it's easier to keep behind your knee in certain seat exercises:

The last thing I'll say about balls is that you don't need to inflate them a whole lot. Ideally, you want your ball to have some give to it.

WEIGHTS

Most barre workouts use light dumbbells--and by 'light' I mean 2-5lbs. Physique 57 workouts go slightly heavier (8-10lbs.) but that's about as heavy as you'll need. Before you get all smug and think you're going to be such a badass, let me take a moment to warn you that barre people can seriously hurt you with those little weights, so pace yourself.

You can find very cheap light weights all over the place. I see them for a very little at discount shops, so you don't need to pay much. Honestly, my weights are the best fitness investment I have ever made. I've had my 5 and 8 pounders for over 20 years and have gotten more use out of them than any other piece of equipment I own.

SUNDRIES

Depending on the workout and your environment, you might need a few other odds and ends. A mat is useful, unless you have very cushy carpeting. Some workouts employ a strap for stretching (you can just use a bathrobe tie), thick cushions (I use patio furniture pads) or pillows. But really, that's about it. One of the reasons barre is such a great home workout is how little stuff you really need. Barre mostly uses your body weight for resistance, so it's also great for travel.

Lastly, I'm going to suggest a full-length mirror. Oh, a mirror... so helpful. In class, I try to get a spot in the corner with two mirrors, so I can check my form from more than one angle. Sometimes I think my posture is good, but a glance in the mirror tells me otherwise. You can find really cheap full-length mirrors at Target. A mirror will change your life. Get a mirror.

As you see, it's very easy to set up for barre at home. Have fun! (And by 'fun' I mean burning, shaking, lalas, etc.)

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

Ah, the Christmas shopping season is upon us. Buy Buy Buy! It's the American way! Let's show our love through stuff! My family are rolling their eyes because I go on this anti-stuff tirade every year, so I had to just get it out of the way before I started in on my....

...first annual best fitness gifts post!

Now before I reveal my list, I need to make a very clear disclaimer: unless the gift recipient really likes exercise and/or has expressed a strong, sincere desire to exercise, please do not buy him or her a fitness-related gift. This is one of those things that could majorly backfire. Yes, husbands/boyfriends, I'm talking to you. You could come off as a massive jerk and your Christmas could turn into a flood of tears and 'are you trying to tell me something?'-type awkward conversations. You really don't want this to be the Christmas everyone remembers as the one during which Suzie locked herself in the bathroom crying because you bought her a Fitbit. I'm making this very clear because if I hear you were banging on the door saying, 'but Honey, I read about it on this chick's blog! She LOVES it and I thought you would, too!' I'm proving that I'm not responsible for whatever comes next.

Know your people. Okay?

Moving on.

1.  A Fitbit!

You knew I was going to say that. I love my Fitbit, as you may recall. Pros: awesome, fun gadget that really motivates you to get up off your duff. Variety of options/price ranges. Cons: can be very addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.

2. A heartrate monitor.

Pros: They are seriously fun gadgets. There are a variety of types/models. I've typically used the Polar brand and it's really fun to track how hard you're working (or not, as the case my be.) Cons: you can start assessing your workouts based solely on heartrate/caloric burn and that's not always the best indicator of good workoutness. Just saying. Also highly addictive, like the Fitbit, but not quite as bad.

3. Grippy socks.

Darling Son #1 modeling my Physique 57 socks

These are a total must-have for barre-istas. Trust me, you don't want to wear normal socks to a barre class. You will slip-slide all over the place and let's face it--plank is a hard place to be, no reason to make it any harder. Pros: you won't slip and slide all over the place. That, and you'll fit in with the cool kids at the barre. Also relatively cheap. Good stocking stuffers. Kinda cute to stuff stockings with stockings, no? Cons: there aren't any cons. People need grippy socks.

I have quite a collection of grippy socks. Behold:

From left: Physique 57, Pure Barre, exhale Core Fusion, and random traction socks from Amazon. I must say, my Pure Barre socks are my faves. They're the cushiest of the bunch.

4. Camelbak bottle.

The Darling Husband turned me on to this and now I'm a convert. Camelbaks are great. Pros: They don't get that nasty bottle stink. They're easy to clean and you can just grab it and take a quick sip during a workout--there isn't any unscrewing of lids resulting in potential spillage. Cons: none.

5. Lucy Vital workout pants.

These are my all-time fave workout pants. They're vital. Pros: stylish, made from non-compression fabric. This means they don't fit super snug-ly and that's nice when you're wearing them to preschool dropoff and don't want your workout pants to cling to every.single.part.of.you. Know what I mean? I wear them with a normal, non-workout top and clogs and they just look like regular clothes, but they are super comfortable and totally suitable for exercise. They're the perfect life-to-workout transition garment. I'm a total Lucy girl, so I can't say I have a whole lot of experience with other brands, so bear that in mind. I don't do Lululemon. I'd rather buy a car than a pair of workout pants, thank you very much. Swearing off Lulu was a decision I came to even before the whole sheer pants/CEO with foot-in-mouth disease issues, Cons: full-price Lucy is still expensive, but they run decent sales and always have a sale rack at the back of the store, and I love them for it.

6. Buy your fitness person some classes or a personal training session.

This is a Pure Barre class. I love the look on the second one's face. That's one focused chick.

I love, love, love live classes, but they're usually not cheap, and since I have small people, I have to hire a sitter on top of the class cost. Consequently, I don't take live classes very often. This is why it's such an awesome gift--totally something I wouldn't typically get for myself. Pros: live instruction takes your workout to whole new level. It's the gift that keeps on giving. It's also a great gift for mothers of small people who never get a distraction-free moment. A live class is bliss simply because no one is crawling on you or needing you to change the channel, provide a snack, or referee the latest brouhaha over which of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends gets to shunt the Troublesome Trucks. Also, this is a clutter-free gift! And you're supporting a local business. What's not to love? Cons: clearly, none that I can think of.

7. A massage.

Try to find a place that will put a flower in your hair. That's a nice touch.

Those nails have to go, though.

Who doesn't love a massage?! Pros: This is the one exception to the above disclaimer. No one will lock herself in the bathroom sobbing over a massage. There is no potential hidden agenda in a massage. This gift is risk-free, clutter-free, and it's awesome. Cons: Seriously? No cons.

8. A subscription to Clean Eating magazine.

I'm obsessed with CE. Pros: It's a great magazine chock full o' delicious recipes. I do a little happy dance whenever the latest issues flies through the mail slot. Cons: some recipes call for hard-to-find ingredients, so I make subsitutions. A lot. Also, they went out of business earlier this year, but they've found a new publisher and I just got my first issue. Hopefully, they've worked out the kinks.


So there you go, along with raindrops on roses, etc., these are my favorite things. Go forth and stimulate the economy!

Oh, to be Amish...

I freaked DS1 out the other day. I caught him licking his plate out of the corner of my eye. I scolded him for it, all the while looking at his brother across the table. He said, in desperate, astonished voice, "How did you know?! You were looking the other way!!"

Part of me thought this would be a good time to educate him on the science of peripheral vision, how we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that it is NOT ok to engage in such savagery just because you don't think I can see you, etc. What a fine teaching moment this could be!

Then I thought better of it and responded thus: "I have super powers."

Oh, to have had a camera trained on my firstborn at that moment... the look of wonder, awe and new-found respect for his mother!

In truth, I'd be hard pressed to explain the science of anything. I'm really not a science-y person. I'm humanities and liberal arts all the way. Would you like fries with that? Tall, grande or venti?

However, today I am going to try. We are going to discuss NEAT--Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

NEAT is the energy you spend throughout the day on everything BUT sleeping, eating, sitting around or what you think of as 'exercise.' I'm talking about doing the laundry, cooking, walking around your office, breaking up fights between your small people, running for a train, grocery shopping, fidgeting, you name it. That's NEAT. And as it turns out, NEAT is very important for your overall health. A high NEAT really raises your metabolic rate. Sitting for long periods of time is not good for you. You can do all the Physique 57 and Rachel Cosgrove workouts in the world, but if you sit on your bum for the rest of the day, you're not going to be as fit and healthy as you think you are.

This is one of the psychological downsides of hard exercise. People think, 'Man, I just killed that workout! I'm Zena Warrior Princess (or HeMan, as the case may be.) I am now officially an Amazon, and can 'reward' myself by sitting on the couch for the rest of the day!'

EEEHHHH!  Wrong. Your overall movement throughout the day is crucial. Not to mention the fact that if you sit for hours after a killer workout, you will be massively stiff and sore.

This news might be a major downer for those of you who sit at a desk all day, but fear not, faithful readers! Do I have a gadget for YOU!

Meet my Fitbit:

Isn't it cute?

Fitbit is a fitness tracker... it's kind of a glorified pedometer. I've been wearing a Fitbit for nearly three years. This is actually my third Fitbit. The other two fell apart, but I'm happy to say that they have changed the design and the newer models are more durable. And the Fitbit people replaced my first one for free and sold me the third one for 50% off, so I harbor no ill will. Clearly, since I'm giving them a huge plug on my soon-to-be-famous blog.

This is the One model, which is very tiny.

 Here it is compared to my thigh-bouncing quarter. Beside it is the clip you use to attach it to your clothes. I usually clip it to my waistband, like so:

Some women clip it to a bra, but I'm not going to show you a picture of that. This is a family blog. I used to clip it to mine, but I kept wanting to check my step count throughout the day, and it isn't really socially acceptable to keep reaching into your shirt, you know?

In addition to the One, they have models you can wear on your wrist including a fancy new one that sings and dances for you in addition to counting steps (kidding.) I've also heard good things about the Zip, which is bigger than the One, but also cheaper.

The Fitbit syncs to your computer and gives you graphs and charts of your activity. It not only tracks steps but also stairs, 'active' minutes, sleep quality (I never use that) and a host of other things. You can input your food intake and compare it to calories burned... the possibilities are endless!

One of the nice things about being a stay-at-home-mom (from a fitness perspective) is that I naturally have a very high NEAT. Especially since I'm a boy mom. Boys are like puppies--you have to run them everyday. I wonder if I'd clock fewer steps if I were a girl mom? Any girl moms (or dads) want to weigh in on this?

Experts (whoever they may be) recommend 10,000 steps per day. Even keeping up with my little puppies, it can sometimes be hard to get in 10k a day. I have noticed I become less efficient in my chores to eek out a few more steps when I need them. By that I mean I could carry seventeen things upstairs from the basement (remember, I have super powers), but breaking up the load into several trips gets me way more steps.

Other people who get lots of steps are the Amish. A study showed Amish men get an average of 18k steps a day (!), and Amish women, 14k. That's a lot of steps, people. (Note: this is traditional Amish communities, not the ones who work in tourist shops. They're as bad off as the rest of us.) More amazingly, the Old Order Amish clocked these averages during a less busy season of the year, not harvest time, and only on Sundays did their averages dip significantly--down to 10k. (I know you're wondering how they squared using technological devices like pedometers with their consciences... turns out, if they're borrowed, it's ok. You have to read the fine print.) These Amish have very low rates of obesity, which is nice for them, since they don't have Netflix.

If the Fitbit is a little too pricey or too techie for you, a regular pedometer could work, but it's not as fun as a Fitbit. I've heard good things about the Omron brand. In fact, I bought one for my dad for Father's Day. I didn't buy him a Fitbit because he's a little Amishy when it comes to technology, not because I'm cheap. (He is my dad, after all.) A couple of weeks after he received it, he called me at 9am to tell me he had already walked the length of the Gobi desert.

Which leads me to the one downside of the Fitbit. It can be a little addictive. I want you all to know that even if you get all the way downtown and walk around all day, only to realize that you forgot to put it back on after you got out of the shower that morning, the unrecorded steps still count. Though that scenario is most head-wrecking and I feel for you. Really, I do.

Lastly, I just want to say to any Amish people who might be reading my blog on a borrowed computer, you are most welcome to come over and I'll lend you some of my stuff. Just borrow a phone and call me, ok?