The Barrett Blog

You’re in Training

‘Tis the season for parent-teacher conferences and while there is a Zoom option, I really like having them the old fashioned way, in-person. It’s nice to sit face to face with each teacher, in each classroom.  The conferences are set up like this: parents are booked for 10minutes with each teacher, and then there’s five minutes between each appointment to travel from classroom to classroom.  We follow the same order as the child does in...

Optimism is Optimal

Ellen Barrett Let's Move!

I bet you have a pessimistic friend or family member. This is a person who tends to think about the worse case scenario, or perhaps they offer a negative comment here and there. Sometimes this person is super funny and pessimism is part of their humor. They crack you up and their words are benign to your psyche. Other times, this person is bad for your health. (Not kidding!) I’ve recently distanced myself from a...

If You’re Moving, You’re Detoxifying

“Detox” is a buzzword that’s been buzzing for a long time. Some might think it means some sort of drug rehab. Others may think it’s a serious liver cleanse. However, “detox” should be part of our everyday. It simply means getting rid of unwanted stuff, and you know what?  If you’re exercising, you’re detoxifying. Here’s how: 1. Exhalation Every exhale is detoxifying. The amount of inhaled air contains (approximately) 21% of oxygen and 0.04% of carbon dioxide, while...

Unfrazzle Yourself

I always always always “read the room” when it comes to teaching classes. When a group of people congregate for yoga, Pilates or a some sort of fusion format, their collective energy informs me what’s up. Sometimes, we need to get moving right away. Sometimes, we need to settle in for a bit. Sometimes, the class needs to be extra alignment focused, and sometimes, the class needs to center around mindful breathing. It all depends on what intel...

Sphinx has Your Back

Sphinx Pose

Thankfully, my “throwing my back out” era is well in the past but when I was living through it, it got a little scary. My son, Luca, was about 2 years old the first time it happened, and then almost an exact year later, it happened again. Both times, I was outside, it was cold, and I was awkwardly carrying a heavy object.  Both times it happened in an instant – I felt my lower...

Three Things To Know About Epic Barre

Epic Barre With Ellen Barrett

Kick off your shoes and grab a chair, it’s EPIC BARRE time! Yes, our newest video workout has arrived and the peppy pace, the concentrated moves, and the core galore make for a truly epic, 45minute, cardio sculpt experience.  There are three things I want to quickly mention about EPIC BARRE: 1. We don’t sit down all that much in this workout! In my mind, when I decided on the cover pic, I thought the photo illustrated a unique “pose,” adding a...

Diet, Exercise, Sleep…And there’s one more!

When it comes to wellness, there are the big three plus one – diet, exercise and sleep, then there’s time management. Diet is what you eat, exercise is how you move, and sleep is when you restore. Time management is how you structure and schedule your days. Today, I thought it might be insightful to gaze into your typical day with these three+one components in mind.  I’ll use myself as an example:I’ve got the exercise part down....

Be Strong, Go Long

What if I told you there is something you could do every day, that brings increased mobility, energy, and youthfulness…it’s free and easy, requires zero equipment, and could take as little as 10 seconds? Well, that something is elongate your glorious spine! I know,  I know…this might seem too good to be true, and you may assume I’m greatly exaggerating its effectiveness, but seriously, have you elongated your spine today?  Sitting, at a desk or in a car...

The Three Beliefs of the Very Well

I just spent an afternoon with human resource directors from some of the biggest companies in the world. I listened in on parts of their conversation concerning their employees. The primary conundrum that each of these HR directors faced was how can they keep employees healthy and strong, and thus productive? Many of their employees work long hours and when their workday ends, family responsibilities begin. Basically, everyone’s busy and exhausted, so how does anyone...

All Knees Are Not Created Equal

There are two major differences between the male and female knee: 1. the female’s ligaments are softer and thinner, and 2.  a female’s femur bone connects at the knee at a more pronounced slant. There are other physiological differences too, from lower bone density to higher percentage of body fat, but the two I mention above makes the female knee especially vulnerable to excessive high-impact activity and to reactive/sudden pivot-action, a.k.a., masculine training.  Over the years, I...

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