Barre is King..... Here's the science

At the stage everyone is on the barre bus but just thought I'd reiterate a few points so we all know where it's at! For those of you who already take tons of class you know how good you feel  but it's good to know what it is we are doing. If you have any questions about the technique or your training maybe this will answer some of them!

At Rebel Barre we love bangin’ playlists and fresh, upbeat workouts. Orla and I have so many different routines and sequences  the body is always being challenged every time you enter the class. We always switch the duration of our routines and sequences while giving you HIIT, core, stretches, strength training and stability exercises. We feel empowered by the infinite varieties and love that we never get bored and hope you don't either!

During your class with us we keep you moving fast enough to torch calories and move quickly from one exercise to the next for similar effects and of course to improve our endurance and technique. Rebel barre promotes all over body function concentrating on toning, firming and flexibility. Barre does so much good for the body it's a wonder everyone isn't at it, oh wait they are you only have to glance at a magazine to see what stars are doing it and how great the look!

Orla and I designed rebel barre with so much careful research and an enormous retrospective insight into our own good and bad training to give you the best. Here's the skinny; our bodies react really well to tough workouts: we release endorphins which make you feel happy and well, it curbs hunger because it diverts blood from your gastrointestinal system so it flows into our tired muscles instead (holiday workouts are a must), improves posture by educating the postural muscles, gives you more body/spatial awareness which is not only good for our body but for the brain too,  it's empowering ( it makes you focus on yourself), it's fun and it's safe. Mostly though it improves your over all health and sense of wellbeing and we always take a little breather at the end to bring the nervous system down to a balanced state. We all know we spend too much time in imbalance which wreaks havoc on our bodies, raises the heart rate, makes us hyper, makes us crash, releases stress hormones such as cortisol and sends us on a journey to burn out. We like to keep the energy high and start to decelerate towards the end to give you rebels everything you need.

Cardio counts. Big time! There are so many different fitness fad out there that it's difficult to know what to do. We say look for results. My great friend Svava @ Svavathevikingmethod doesn't do before and after pictures she does before and after performance which we agree with wholeheartedly, it's a useless marketing tool that makes people feel  like crap when they don't lose 5 stone after a week! Now back to the cardio; it's this that gets the body fired up and ready to burn fat cells it also helps the elimination process in the body through seating and of course through going to the loo. Cardio speed everything along. We're not talking totally puffed out can't talk for the hour ( although HIIT sections such as these are fantastic too), we are talking 70-80 % of your maximum heart rate. Research shows that the body releases endocannabinoids only when you push your intensity into that moderate zone, so no need to kill yourself, phew! Static exercise and weightlifting doesn't activate the edocannabinoid system.  We like to mix it all up to make a super class!

Stretching, everyone's love/hate relationship. Stop concentrating on the outcome and focus on the action. Stretching it out at the end is beyond important and here's why: after a workout your muscles leak a protein called kinase which your poor little kidneys need to filter from the blood. If you sit still, the damaged proteins accumulate and this may result in inflammatory control cells coming into the body and delaying your well earned recovery. By moving and stretching the muscles at the end you will increase the blood flow to these areas and this will flush out waste so your bodies can repair themselves.

Barre as you know is growing all the time and is now a staple exercise regime all over the world, we are always evolving and changing to meet new scientific research and love to take on new ideas, we don't own barre or Pilates or anything else we love sharing and learning all the time. And we love our little pocket of rebels in Dublin, we are most happy when we are making new classes for you to… ahem enjoy!!!

Jade

Stay active and motivated this winter

We know how easy it is to become unmotivated and how easy it is to fall off the wagon during the winter months and we pay a heavy price for it come January or whenever we decide to jump back on. At Rebel Barre we try to offer classes that cater for the busy Christmas season and all the nights out and parties that can bring. We have added a 7am Wednesday morning class @urbanhealth and we have lots of other classes at various times and days. We are also delighted to announce we will be keeping a light schedule on during the holidays to keep those pounds at bay! 

Now it is all too easy to convince ourselves that during these months we should relax and hibernate and although Orla and I think relaxation is an important component of a balanced lifestyle, it is crucial to keep on top of your training during winter. In fact it's probably more important than working out during the summer because we slow down, we start to eat more, we have more nights out and we spend a little more time on the couch and in our beds. This is not only a nightmare for your skinny jeans or our little black dress but it also wreaks havoc with your health and wellbeing. 

The biggest obstacle for not coming to class is often the weather. The weather, come on are we really going to go there with the weather, it's freezing, it's raining, it's dark, it's windy, so what we have to combat the urge to use weather as an excuse. Ireland is constantly ‘surprising’ us with all sorts of weather disasters so let's get prepared and not get downtrodden every time we see a grey cloud. Bringthe right clothes, leave a kit bag at work and at home, try to prepare meals so we don't have to leave the office for lunch if the weather is unusually mental and most of all don't skip your workouts we can't let the weather prevent us from that, if you have a habit of using the weather as an excuse than try and change it, catch yourself and others using it and check yourself and them. Set a goal whether that's a couple ofclasses per week, running for 20 minutes, losing a couple of pounds or just needing more energy, whatever you want you can have but you mustn't make excuses about why you can't have it. If you ever need any help or advice shoot us an email and if either of us can help we will! 

As we all know well exercise boosts your energy, increases productivity and keeps you looking and feeling great. Here are my top 3 reasons for keeping fit over the winter months:

1. Boost your immune system

Regular workouts along with lots of vitamin laden foods will help keep colds and flus away as well as maintaining a strong and healthy immune system. 

2. Stay trim and burn calories

Stay in shape during Christmas and you won't have to kill yourself trying to get ready for summer! It's not healthy for your body to yo-yo in weight so stay active and eat plenty of vegetables, Organicproteins, fruits, nuts and whole grain foods. Comfort food doesn't have to be terribly unhealthy so look for alternatives and don't scrimp your workouts! We’re not saying bury the cadburys roses down the back of the garden to stop yourself from horsing them down but keep your workouts frequent and the treats at a minimum and you'll be fine. Our barre classes can burn up to 500 calories!

3. Improve your mood

It's all too easy to feel down or run-down at this time of year so get your energy boosts when and where you can whether it's a barre class or simply finding 20-30 minutes in the day for an activity like a walk/jog or home workout. You'll feel so much better. Remember exercise releases endorphins which make us feel happy so beat those winter blues by staying active. Also eating warming wholesome foods will make a difference, I'm not a fan of eating cold foods when it's cold out. Choose something warm and comforting like a vegetable stew, fish and steamed vegetables or homemade soup! 

So there you go gang, hope this helps and look forward to burning up the floor in class.

Jade xx

Cleanse the liver to clear the body

I have been working with a client and her nutritionist on a serious course of training for weight loss to improve her health. She has allowed me to share this with you all and although I have decided not to use her name we can speak about some things that came up on our journey together and our research into what is making her feel the way she does and why. We have been looking at liver cleansing foods while she has been with me and I thought I should let you know about why a happy liver is what we need to create a happier, healthier body.

This client was always tired, bloated and sluggish. She became overweight because she was too tired to exercise after a hard days work . It was a pretty bad rut she had gotten into but one that I'm sure many of us have experienced at different times in our lives. We tried many different things and found that looking at a plant based diet with wholegrains and some fresh fish was the way forward for her. Of course cutting out processed foods, alcohol and refined sugars got her on the right track to getting her body regulated and cared for! Now I am happy to report  she is looking and feeling better than ever. Eating well is the first port of call as it fuels our training. A good training regime will not survive a bad diet! We are not suggesting you never have a cocktail or eat chocolate ever again but we must be realistic about our health if you feel like crap take a couple of weeks to clean up your food and training and then your body can cope much better with whatever you throw at it, you’ll be much more energetic and less likely to get colds, flu’s or tummy bugs if the immune system is happy!

As you probably know already our modern over processed foods and high paced lifestyles put our livers under enormous strain. The  liver is often unhappy and clogged up making it difficult to perform its duties at an optimum level. Instead of boring you with the details of the what and the why here are 10 liver friendly and cleansing foods you can incorporate into your already existing diet, they are easy to find and easy to use and  cook with.

1. GRAPEFRUIT- Increases the natural cleanish processes of the liver. Helps flush toxins from the body. I like to just cut this up and eat it, I have used it in summer salads and put a slice into water!

2. AVOCADO’S- They help the body produce glutathione which is necessary for the liver to clean itself. Great with eggs, fish, smoothies, stuffed with tuna and making vegan cheesecakes and desserts.

3. BEETROOT’S – My all time favourite, helps to stimulate and improve the all over function of the liver. The same can also be said for Carrots. Both are full of beta carotene and are very high in plant-flavonoids. Juice them, roast them, bake them, add to dinners and salads, make soups.

4. Turmeric – helps boost liver detox. Try to by it fresh if you can, it's cheap and wonderful. Make a cleansing tea with ginger, lemon and a pinch of turmeric, add to soups, smoothies, curries, chilli’s, hot pots, experiment!

5. OILS – Organic oils such as Cold-Pressed Olive oils, hempseed oils  and flaxseed oils are great for the liver when used in moderation. By creating a lipid base the body can suck up harmful toxins which takes some of the burden off the liver. Put onto steamed veg, garnish your soup, put it on salads.

6. APPLES – apples help cleanse the digestive tract which in turn helps the liver handle toxic load! Chop it up and put it into salads, juices, smoothies, grated into your porridge or poached.

7. LEMONS AND LIMES -  High in Vitamin C, which help to synthesise toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water. Add some to warm water to feel it's full benefit first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Or add to the water you drink throughout the day, squeeze onto salads, steamed broccoli.

8. GARLIC – helps to activate enzymes that help to flush the liver out. Garlic is essential to most recipes so it won't be a tough one to incorporate, I like to crush it and use it raw or sauté it.

9. GREEN VEGETABLES – leafy greens help to remove waste from organs and blood ( if you have any thyroid issues you shouldn't eat much of it except when mixing it in with other foods), broccoli ( cruciferous veg ) helps  enzyme production. Add to juices, smoothies, steam it, put it in salads. They  are very versatile. I like to use good quality olive oil on raw leaves.

10. GRAINS – Quinoa, buckwheat and millet are best they are gluten free and so they won't interfere with your liver cleanse. A fantastic base for any dish, granola’s, brekkie bars, porridge the list goes on.

If you have any questions feel free to email us. There are some amazing chef’s out there with plant based recipes like Susan-Jane White, The Alkaline Sisters, Hemsley and Hemsley ( they cook with meat too but  they are very ethical), Rozanna Purcell and many more! Happy liver cleansing everyone!!!

Strong is the new skinny….hurrah!

When I first embarked on my vocation of professional dance and performance at the age of 17  I was immediately told to lose weight in fact it was implied at the audition. It would appear that in order to succeed I would have to have a different body? Until this I was blissfully unaware of my size and its effect on me as an athlete, I thought instead that having a muscular physique was a positive thing, I was fit and strong and ready to do any physical task at hand. Although I donned thunderous thighs I had not one piece of fat on my body in fact my BMI was right on point, so what was I to do? How could I become Skinny while remaining strong and effective?

We trained athletically for 40 hours per week ( I did that for 5 years straight, only missing two days of the entire time), we worked on ballet techniques including I.S.T.D, R.A.D, contemporary dance techniques including Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Release and Lemón, Jazz and Modern techniques Including I.S.T.D, Commercial Jazz and Matt Mattox. We focused on technique first and performance after so you can imagine that is was very hard on the body and the mind. We would Self critique in front of a mirror every day so my confidence pitifully drowned in a pool of my hard earned sweat and sometimes actual tears!!! Suddenly my body shape obsession became more important than focusing on technique and I found it hard to truly enjoy what I was doing without tearing myself apart.. Although I am small and slim I am not skinny and I think I sometimes in an effort by my peers and mentors to make me become a ‘professional dancer’ I was pushed slightly the wrong way. I have little interest in slagging people off because what they were doing wasn't bullying it's what they do to prepare you for the bullies and the constant rejection and the fact that you literally need to put the best foot forward in order to succeed.

I am sharing this not to get pity but to say that focusing on the aesthetic is unsustainable and unfulfilling. Of course you want to feel good and look great in your clothes but you have to know what's healthy and what is just plain madness. It's very negative and taxing on the body and mind to strive for six packs and gaps in between your thighs if getting there means a gruelling diet and an unhealthy obsession with exercise.

I love the art of dance, I love the fitness of dance, I love the enjoyment of dance and how it can truly enhance people's lives whether you partake or you spectate but I am often at odds  with the warped perception of the dancers body and in the face of this ridiculous notion that we should all look the same I have had a fruitful career, I continue to work in dance, music and theatre and feel deserving of the roles because I am right for the job and I work hard. When  I started to do barre for fitness I felt more confident and so much stronger because it hits everything you need in the one class,  I love teaching it because I know that you will look and feel so much better!

I don't always love  the body I am in, but I am thankful that after all  I have put it through it gets up and does another days rehearsal or another show or teaches another class and never gives up. I am strong not skinny and I have the energy to prove it, I never run out of steam because of it. So If you are skinny, curvaceous, out of shape, at your peak fitness, tall, small, two left feet we don't care if you want to be strong and iron clad for anything that life throws at you then come to Rebel Barre because we know what it's like to feel like crap and we love you all the way you are while we kick your butt’s into a J-Lo shaped derrière! And all together now ‘Strong is the new Skinny’ JADE X

View fullsize

Eat yourself Happy

EAT YOURSELF HAPPY - 6 FOODS TO BOOST YOUR MOOD

So March is here...... We can start looking towards sunnier days but here in Ireland we're not guaranteed an actual summer so what can we do to try to cheer ourselves up when they weather is constantly grim?  Here at Rebel Barre we know how much food can help cheer us up, and no, sorry, I'm not talking cake, although that can help it's usually a short term fix.  So here are 6 foods that can help raise your spirits.

Walnuts - Walnuts are one of the richest dietary sources of serotonin, the happiness chemical. Add some chopped walnuts to your breakfast porridge or make some tasty protein balls

Beetroot - Beetroot are a great source of Vitamin B, and are packed with betaine.  They are basically awesome. Drink your beets in juice or add some grated beetroot to salads for your beet happiness kick

Chickpeas - Our love for chickpeas here at Rebel barre is strong. We could pretty much eat them everyday in different forms.  And they are full of vitamin B6 which can help our mood.  Eat some hummus or throw a tin in a salad or a curry.

Red Wine - Well obviously we hear you say, yes, we all feel happier after a bottle of wine or 3 but red wine is full of antioxidants so go ahead and have a glass!

Chocolate - So we are not talking about a bar of Cadburys, lovely as that is the sugar can make you crash, to get your happiness fix you need to go for dark chocolate and the darker the better.  It's loaded with polyphenols which can boost your mood.

 Apricots - Oh how we love a sweet apricot, they make us feel all summery and they are packed with vitamin B6 and zeaxanthin which have been linked to higher moods,

And finally the best way to boost your mood is exercise or a bit of a dance... So hopefully we'll see you at the barre very soon.

REBEL BARRE

Why I love Barre by Orla

About 10 years ago on a trip to Los Angeles I was walking past the mirrored window of the studio in a gym I was training in and I saw lots of slender poised woman going through a series of plies and moves that looked pretty easy but their legs were shaking and you could see the effort they were putting in.  As someone who danced from the age of 3 and went to stage school where I danced every day from the age of 12-18 I was intrigued.  I had taken a couple of dance classes as working as an actor I always want to keep great movement in my body and I have also been a trained Pilates instructor for 10 years but I missed that element of dance class that I was now witnessing.  I had to give it a try.  So I took my first Barre class and I was hooked.  During Barre class you go through a series of ballet conditioning exercises, which are aimed at toning your whole body.  We started with arm work moved onto our legs and butt and finished with ab work, we stretched as we went and had a last longer stretch at the end.  Although it was hard I loved every minute of it and for days afterwards I was sore in muscles I’m pretty sure I hadn’t used in years! So I decided to train to teach Barre as I felt it would be a nice complement to Pilates.  There are loads of different Barre classes available in the states, Bar Method, Barre Concept to name a few, they are all pretty much the same type of ballet conditioning class mixed with callanetics moves from the 70’s!

One of my main reasons for loving Barre is the change I began to see in my own body.  As someone in my 40’s with a child and the type of pear body shape that means if I so much as look at a piece of cake my thighs end up an inch bigger I felt like a few improvements here and there wouldn’t go a miss.  I walk a lot and work out regularly and Pilates has kept me in great shape for years but barre has managed to make changes that probably only I can see but make getting into my favourite going out dress a little easier! My legs are much more toned, I’m never going to have a thigh gap but they definitely look better in a pair of shorts than before, my butt is a little more lifted and my arms are much more toned than when I used to lift heavy weights 3 times a week!

I came back to Dublin and realized that no one was teaching this type of class.  I ran a couple of weekend workshops in Rathmines to see if anyone else would be interested and they both sold out.  So I started teaching a couple of classes a week and that has now grown to teaching 8 barre classes a week in Platinum Pilates studio in Rathmines in Dublin and I've recently launched Rebel Barre with another great barre teacher, Jade.  There are now barre classes springing up all over Dublin but its great to know that I was one of the first to find out how great it is for your body.  I have ladies coming to my class that have been coming ever since I started and they come back week after week, some of them 2 or 3 times a week and I can see the changes, one client remarked to me that her husband now calls her iron bum because of how toned her butt has become!!

I love to play a mix of great music (in my humble opinion) during class and I change the exercises around so that no one gets bored. The key to exercise for me is fun and making it not feel like a chore and Barre along with Pilates is something that I know I will do for life, it just works for me! So hopefully I will see some of you at the Barre!!