Are you Red-y?

From wearing boots and braving the colder temperatures, to mounting our bikes, and on separate occasions, striking tennis balls, the seasons have changed —and so have our extracurricular activities. We packed up those extra layers, pumped up the tires — and already, we are cycling through some of our favourite and forgotten summer pastimes. This season is off to a great start, and we credit our enjoyment in diverse pursuits to training with our Barres and Bells.

Attending to the nuances, and sometimes, the nuisances of movement — all year long we maintain, and improve our flexibility at the barre and cardiovascular endurance with the kettlebell to prepare our bodies (but, perhaps not our bottoms) for longer hauls on the bike. Concurrently, we train our bodies to stay ready to catch or hit whatever ball is thrown our way next. 

Other than our all year round favourite — walking, Bares and Bells exercises do not require large spaces to perform. However, connecting little red dots of movement has a tremendous potential to improve everything from the ground stroke to confidently covering more ground with active modes of transportation. 

Exercise tasks present themselves in different shades, or — at least varied intensities that help you to stay focused and fit one season to the next. Small, medium and large — go ahead, paint the town red. What are some of your seasonal favourites?

Small (Red) — Practice with the kettlebell, build on the basics to create a mobility routine, or — simply go play in the park. Enjoying fresh air, and benefiting your mental and physical health doesn’t require that you go too far from home. Create bright spots of movement in your everyday routine to stay ready, and consistently feel better. 

Medium (Red-der) — This time, leave the car at home, and go for a walk instead. Or, as is one of Lauryn’s favourites — go for a run. A few times a week, increase your neighbourhood boundary, and capacity for movement with tasks that you can perform at a low to medium intensity. Increasing your muscular endurance with sub-maximal exertion will improve your ability to enjoy your time at rest and recovery, while readying yourself for those special occasions or big demands later in the season.

Large (Red-est) — Pick your passion, and invest the time to make it an all day affair. As the summer progresses, these events may increase in duration. However, varying the time spent, or distance covered in these pursuits to one or two events every two weeks is a safe and strong strategy to avoid you seeing red with burnout, and maintaining your joy in the pursuit.

So, are you ready? Get out and enjoy the best of the spring season, and join us in the studio or online for exercise and strength strategies to help you prepare, perform and have you feeling your best and ready for the spring and summer seasons.

Take care, 
Ian and Lauryn