As you all know, barre is a kick-ass workout with a special focus on developing and toning muscles. And while this is FANTASTIC for your body, we wont deny the importance of incorporating cardio exercise to keep your fitness routine well rounded. Did you know that the majority of barre method's do not include a cardio component into their classes? We think that cardio is incredibly important, so we add it into (almost) every class - we even offer Barre Blast for those of you who prefer a little extra.
So why do we think cardiovascular exercise is so important? It improves heart health, boosts your metabolism, improves recovery ability, promotes endurance and is crucial to weight loss. For these reasons, we think that cardio and barre go hand in hand and we will always advocate that it is important for our barrestars to seek alternative means of cardio on top of what we are dishing out at the barre. Especially because YEG has so many wonderful cardio-based fitness boutiques and a gorgeous river valley for outdoor adventures!
Looking for some ideas? Here are a few of our favourites:
"Depends on the season...in the winter I love to go skating, and in the summer it's walking/running outside in the river valley." - Erin "
A couple of weekends ago my friends and I played a game of "Capture the Flag" but it was the adult version and the flags were beer. It doesn't necessarily sound like cardio but I have never been so sore in my entire life. Must be from all the running in the snow. Anyways, it is my new favourite cardio, beats treadmill intervals any day. We are thinking of starting a league if anyone is interested. ???? And if this doesn't count I also looooove playing squash, newest obsession (after barre of course). " - Charlotte
"I love a good Spin class. Good music, a dark room and an inspiring leader." - Megan
"Chasing my son around and going for walks to the park is my biggest cardio outside of barre. He is really fast and is constantly in a hurry to get somewhere so I basically spend my evenings and weekends running after him everywhere he goes. " - Kristin G
"I love cycling in the summer or spin in the winter! It's a great low impact way to cover bigger distances!" - Kyra
"Running!" - Jamie
"I love to go for a long walk or bike ride for cardio when not at the barre. I also enjoy a dance class or two that often involves a great cardio workout. " - Erika
"Other than (my favourite) barre blast classes here at BBS, I love going to Erika's spin classes at Blitz Conditioning. So good!" - Katharine
"I'm all for the cardio machines at the gym! Because I have the attention span of a 5 year old and get bored easily, it's nice to have a variety of machines that I can hop back and forth between. This helps keep my cardio sessions longer than 15 minutes. When I am away (especially in Arizona), I love going for runs and hiking because a) the weather is beautiful - I am all about the sun and b) there are so many pretty things to look!" - Katarina
What are your favourite ways to get that heart racing!? Lets us know on facebook, twitter or insta!