As a college student and dancer, cross training is incredibly important for keeping me sane and preventing injury, and I am always on the lookout for new fitness classes to try. However, I had been finding it difficult to locate a workout that truly challenged me and was worth the money. Barre class was a little too slow, and cycling was difficult on my legs, but was not getting my heart rate up. Though I love Pilates, I needed to work on endurance as well. Exercise classes are extremely expensive, so I wanted to find a class that was worth the investment, and Body By Simone is certainly that. Like any great workout, I immediately got hooked, and now find myself doing crazy things like waking up at 6 am on a Saturday morning to go take class. Here’s what you need to know:
BBS is a dance based workout class, founded by Simone De La Rue, a professional dancer turned fitness mogul. The Chelsea studio offers a variety of classes, but my favorite has been Full Body. You start with a simple warmup, then move into a super fun dance cardio sequence, then onto arms, more dancing, glutes, a final cardio push, and abs. The first class absolutely kicked my butt- but in the best possible way. I immediately booked another class because I wanted to go back. My opinion? The class works so well because it is fun. It is a bit of a stretch for me to say that I ever enjoy cardio, but when I am dancing to a great playlist, it just feels like I am pushing through a dance routine as opposed to pounding the pavement. Additionally, this class is true to its name and really targets every muscle group in your body while working your endurance. This is great because I can go for my fifty-five minute class and then be done with my workout for the day. This method targets everything.
I was a little nervous for the class because everyone told me it was going to be super difficult. It certainly was, but it didn’t feel at all threatening. Every teacher that I’ve had so far has been extremely kind and encouraging, and classes are filled with people from all backgrounds (read: you don’t have to be in the greatest shape of your life to hang in this class. Just come with a good attitude and be prepared to work hard). I feel like there is so much room for growth in the class, but I don’t feel discouraged if I am not quite up to par in certain areas yet. After all, the best part about fitness is challenging yourself daily, and gaining strength for yourself. I am so excited to continue to grow through BBS.
You can sign up for daily classes at BBS, located in Chelsea. It is available on ClassPass as well, which is another major plus for college students. Now go get your sweat on!