I like to be in a place and become a creature of it. This not only applies to eating and drinking, but customs, mores, and general ways of life - as different as they may be. I like to face the confusion, embrace the inconvenience, and don't let my American ways get the best of me.
So when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Eat tons of pasta and be late to everything and have no shame in living with your parents until you are 30 years old.
When in Paris, do as the Parisians do. Walk the cute streets with an armful of baguettes, and drink copious amounts of wine, and brag to everyone about the superiority of all things French.
But when in London, I don't want to do what the Londoners do.
At least not in the case of fitness regime, which would be -
"join up with a gym, never turn up for the classes and head to the pub with your mates instead!"
I'm a gymaholic. And while I do find European ways of life to be far superior to ours in most ways - I need a decent Zumba class and a local Lululemon store to survive! I joined a gym here, but it's pretty much crap, and Body Attack isn't doing anything for me anymore.
So today my new American-pal told me she'd heard about a boutique fitness studio in Chelsea doing Barre-Method based classes When she told me it was called Barrecore, I liked it already. I did some research and found out it was just started by 2 Americans, one who came from Physique 57 and other from Tracy Anderson.... sold! I went straight from work to the 7:30 class.
It was like coming home! With lulu-clad Americans on my left and right, I felt so good to be surrounded my other serious-minded workoutters that I hardly minded the horrible pain that comes from doing 10 minutes of modified plies in a releve, squeezing a ball between your knees.
I'm typically more of a cardio-centric fitness girl. Zumba, Kangoo, Cardio Jam, Rebounding - anything that gets my heart-rate going. But I figured my body could use a shock of something completely different after I fed it nothing but fat and skipped the gym for the past month. Turns out, I was right. A mere 4 hours after the class, I'm already sore in places I didn't know one could be sore. Barrecore is hardcore. It's like a little piece of New York in London - and I love it.
My flatmates find it utterly mad that I go to the gym as often as I do. Actually, they find it utterly mad that I belong to a gym at all. Every time I come down in my trainers, they say - "off to the gym again, are you?!"
Today I explained I wasn't heading to my gym, but to a Barrecore class.
"Have you heard of it - Barrecore," I asked?
Since the studio is new to the area and getting a lot of buzz I thought maybe she would know, but I watched the strangest look develop on her face, as she said "Oh yeah, I think I've heard of it."
Turns out, she thought I was saying parkour.
All I could think of was this opening scene from Season 6 of The Office, when Andy, Dwight, and Michael do parkour. I almost didn't correct her mistake, because it was just too damn funny to think of my flatmates believing I do this....
The Office: Parkour! from bidji on Vimeo.
So now that all my visitors have visited, my trips I'd planned are taken, and my month-long eating extravaganza is over, I am devoting myself hardcore to Barrecore for the next month, and hoping it helps me feel just a little closer to home.So when in London, I will go for afternoon tea, and say ridiculous things like "blimey", and make my undying allegiance to the Queen known - but when it comes to fitness, I'm totally fine with adjusting my mind-set to, when in London, do as the New Yorkers do.
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