real deals
Free classes Jan. 15: Ballet Austin makes getting fit easy
Jan 14, 2012 | 11:10 am
This Sunday, Jan. 15, is the perfect day to stick with your New Year fitness resolutions (you did make them, right?). Ballet Austin is offering a full roster of classes all day long, absolutely free.
Pitched as a celebration of health and fitness, the exercise classes will be held starting at 3 p.m. at the Butler Community School (BCS) in the heart of the 2nd Street District. Five class sessions, lasting through 6:30 p.m., include Jazz Fit, Body Stretch, Body Sculpting, Ballet Fit, Zumba, Pilates and other fitness routines in a day called GetFit! 2012.
“We hear a lot about physical fitness and exercise; it’s everywhere," says Vicki Parsons, Ballet Austin’s BCS Program Director. "And we know exercise is good for us. The challenge for most of us is that our bodies don’t always want to participate in what we know. When it comes to exercise it is as if our brains and our bodies are at war."
Parsons argues that the key to staying physically fit is not “exercise.” The key is finding a way to be active in your own way; finding something you enjoy that will get you moving and keep you active. "What we like to do we will keep doing. Right?" she asks.
I can attest to this. Over the last few months I've started taking several different styles of ballet classes, for the first time since I was a child in ballet school. Dance offers a really fun way to boost your cardio and sculpt; I could feel my thighs and hamstrings for days, in a good way.
After getting rid of the word exercise, Parsons goes on to recommend that you find something you like to do that involves movement. "Find people and a place you like to hang around, add some music, and before you know it your brain will be invested and your body will follow. That’s what GetFit! Is all about — a variety of ways to get active, so you can choose something that fits you; music, fun people and a great atmosphere."
Brittany Harpole, Ballet Austin BCS Pilates and Fitness Instructor, will be leading three of the classes: Below the Belt and two Arms & Abs sessions. “I love making fitness a fun and energetic experience," says Harpole. "I always look forward to seeing new faces and all different fitness levels. People attending Ballet Austin’s GetFit! 2012 will get a wide variety of exciting and different classes. In some of my classes we use weights and, in others, we use resistance bands, balls, and even the ballet barre to maximize results.”
As Parsons points out, you only get one body per lifetime. GetFit! is all about helping Austinites get on track and stay on track. And if you like what you experience, Ballet Austin has opened registration for a new calendar of fitness courses available to the public. There's also a great list of things to do at Ballet Austin for under $20.
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For more information, check out the Ballet Austin website or call 512-476-9051.
