Maria S. Barr is a fitness instructor, educator and entrepreneur who serves as brand manager and a master trainer with Barre Intensity. Reach her at maria@barreintensity.com.
Summer is starting to simmer down, and the routine of school, work or both is picking up again. As you leave a season of more leisurely pursuits, you may find yourself lacking some consistency. Well, maybe you’ve been consistent in your relaxation, but what else could you be consistent with? You often hear the saying, […]
Wow, this is the year I turned the big 4-0! It’s one of those milestones that provide an opportunity to reflect on the past decade and look forward with excitement. When we reflect on our past, we tend to have that 20/20 vision. It’s in looking to the future that our vision blurs because we […]
We all look forward to summer for a chance to relax, rejuvenate and refresh our minds midway through the year. It’s a season full of potential, but if we get complacent, we can easily spend it sleeping the day away, zoning out on TikTok or getting off track with our health and wellness regimen. But […]
Aren’t you shocked it’s March already? I sure am, and this month, I’d like to help you get moving. I’ll be honest — I usually devise these challenges to force myself to get moving in the mornings when I don’t make it to the gym or my favorite class. You can do these anytime during the day, but […]
I don’t know about you, but it took me some time to find a lot of love for myself in my earlier years. The lack of self-love in the past may have stemmed from years of being teased in grade school, middle school and high school. I’m sure most of us have experienced some type […]
New year, new … sigh. I don’t know about you, but the start of a new year can be a lot of things for me: exciting, fresh, intimidating or sometimes just scary. I have felt all the emotions when Jan. 1 arrives. We put so much pressure on ourselves to change something on that date […]
Merry Fitmas, y’all! You all know how the song goes: “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me …” and so on. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a partridge in a pear tree, nor would I like to receive two turtle doves this year. However, as my […]
As you gather around the table with family and friends to dig into a delicious feast this Thanksgiving, you’ll want to take a moment to reflect on what you’re most grateful for in 2022. I’ve learned over the last few years from my own mentors that you are what you focus on. I hope this […]
‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice, trips to the local farm for fun and maybe a candied apple or two. Speaking of apples, do you know how important your core is? Your “core” generally refers to muscles in and around your torso that help move, support and stabilize your spine, trunk and pelvis. Core exercises […]
Not sure where to start after you signed up at a new gym? Lack the budget for a one-on-one coach or personal trainer? Not to worry! Here’s a great place to start for an upper-body-focused routine using a few of my favorite gym machines. Machines are a great introduction for beginners. One purpose of machines […]
