Burn Baby Burn

Working out with these tools is tough stuff!

Summer's no longer the season. The calendar says it, the leaves show it and the weather feels it. It's OK to start sobbing, I nearly did--summer is my favorite time of year. And I'm far from ready to take all of my workouts indoors.

The swimming and biking may have already gone that route--I blame it on a cold Lake Michigan and lack of ride-able bike at the moment (it's getting some TLC at the bike shop)--but I'm not going to surrender everything. Apparently Equinox must have read my mind (and maybe yours too) because they're taking their Barre Burn class outside.

Sculpt your hips while enjoying spectacular views from the rooftop of the NoMI Garden on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt on Saturday, September 29, at 8 a.m. They couldn't have selected a better Saturday--according to weather.com, the temperatures sound ideal for outdoor exercise. And there's no rain in the forecast unlike when I tried this class in July (and we were redirected indoors to Equinox).



Thank goodness for do-overs; I can't remember anything from that first Barre Burn. Anything except for the class being nothing like what I expected--in a good way--and wall sits. I thought I'd have to dig deep--and I mean really deep--for my inner ballerina to survive an hour of ballet-like moves. I couldn't have been more wrong. Sure, there may have been a plie, or a few, but my quads, glutes, core and more were burning and shaking too much for me to notice. And don't even ask about my arms. I thought three-pound weights would be slightly easy (I use eight and ten-pounders at yoga sculpt). Hold those for a few minutes with your arms extended, and you can't wait for the instructor to tell you to relax and release. But aren't the best workouts the ones that hurt? That's exactly why I need another dose.

Whether you're ready going for your first shot of Barre Burn, or your second, you'll want to save your spot by emailing sarah.roberts@equinox.com. And maybe see you Saturday!