S IMP LY STY LIS H W E L L N E SS
Child’s play Buckhead workouts that don’t feel like work Blast off
By Jennifer Bradley Franklin
R
emember being a kid, when running around, dancing and hula hooping was just plain fun? As adults, we tend to think of working out as a chore and measure physical activity by calories burned. Here, Simply Buckhead explores nearby exercise classes that will have you feeling like a kid again.
Pure joy Children seem to have endless energy, constantly dancing and skipping for the sheer thrill of moving around, never realizing what great exercise it is. Buckhead’s Pure Barre studio is helping clients get that same workout while having a blast jamming to oldschool Michael Jackson and current pop tunes. Each 55-minute class ($26 for a single class, packages available) is targeted toward developing strength and endurance, but without bulk. Each area of the body—arms, core, seat, legs—is worked with isometric exercises and then immediately stretched. All of the steps are described in “normal” terms, so no dance background is required. Pure Barre makes the bold claim that students will see results within just 10 classes, and owner Sarah Moats recommends three classes per week to jump-start progress. She says, “Best of all, each class is slightly different and set to a mix of current music, so you will hardly notice how much your muscles are burning and shaking!”
Rebecca DeShon teaches hula hooping as an exercise, helping clients burn up to 100 calories per 10 minutes. Tim Pattison
n Pure Barre Buckhead
3145 Peachtree Rd. NE Atlanta 30305 404.550.8542 www.purebarre.com
Hooping it up Hula-hooping was the perfect childhood activity—challenging, fun and competitive. Now, it’s a certifiable workout. Local hula-hoop guru Rebecca DeShon started hooping three years ago and is a Hoopnotica-certified instructor, which means she’s allowed to teach this pastime as an exercise. And what an exercise it is: Turns out, the act of swinging your hips back and forth while keeping a hoop up around your waist can burn up to 100 calories per ten minutes, whittle your
For most kids, P.E. is their favorite class of the day, a welcome reprieve from more academic endeavors. Now Buckhead resident Missi Wolf is bringing P.E. to adults—with transformative results. A few years ago, when Wolf ’s scales tipped at 206 pounds, she knew she had to do something drastic to get her health back on track. Fast forward to 2008: Wolf lost 100 pounds and BLAST900 was born. BLAST stands for Balanced Levels of Aerobic and Strength Training, and the hour-long class ($28 for a single clas, purportedly able to burn up to 900 calories) includes short intervals of whole-body strength training alternating with time on the treadmill tailored for runners, joggers and walkers—basically hard-core P.E. “After my success, I wanted to find a way to bring the benefits of health and fitness to the greater Atlanta community,” Wolf says. “BLAST evolved through my own personal journey.” No two classes are just alike, but the format ensures you’ll always get 30 minutes each of cardio and strength training. You’ll even feel a bit pampered, as there’s an attendant ready to make sure you have a fresh towel and a full bottle of water throughout the entire workout.
n Hoop Essence at Pera Dance
Make like it’s dance class at Buckhead’s Pure Barre. Pure Barre
1015-B Collier Rd. NW Atlanta 30318
core and improve your coordination. DeShon explains, “It’s also a mental workout. A lot of people compare it to yoga, since it requires a similar level of concentration. It’s a healthy obsession.” Each class ($12 for a drop-in) is set to an energetic playlist that includes pop, classic rock and hip-hop, and each student uses one of DeShon’s pretty, lightweight, handcrafted hoops.
404.431.8876 www.hoopessence.com n Blast 900
56 E Andrews Dr. NW, Ste. 11 Atlanta 30305 404.841.5430 www.blast900.com It’s P.E. all over again at BLAST900.
September/October 2011 | Simply Buckhead
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