Dressing the Part

Spending so much time at the Barre has really been influencing my wardrobe lately, especially with Spring on the way! In fact, last week I participated in some spontaneous online shopping, and I found myself veering towards leggings, sports bras, and cute sweatshirts instead of Spring skirts, shorts, and dresses. This spontaneous browsing session led to some unplanned shopping which ultimately satisfied my utilitarian needs of some new spring clothing (my leggings had more than one hole in them) (Babin 225). I started shopping in my comfort zone by shopping online at Aerie - a brand I have been purchasing from for several years. I dropped about two hundred dollars on an assortment of sportswear goodies. (Yes, I know that is quite a bit to spend impulsively, but I haven’t been shopping for clothes in-store or online in the past six months.) I'd also like to add that the best thing about online shopping, however, is that I can do a better job of judging the products without being influenced by the functional quality of a physical, in-store environment (Babin, 229).

After my clothing had arrived a few days later, I realized that maybe the quality wasn’t as great as I had remembered. The athletic wear was great for the price, yes, but not compared to the Lululemon sports bra I borrowed from a friend at The Barre Code one day when I was running late for class. The styles and quality of the clothing ‘equipment’ my friends were wearing seemed to be more mature and the “sweat wicking capabilities” were enticing (Lululemon). For some reason, I wanted in on these trendy, expensive, sweat-wicking, reversible, multi-colored, "Flow Y Bra IV * Fill-On Luxtreme" sports bras to see what the fuss was all about.

I have come a long way from being the girl wearing basketball shorts and cut-off T-shirts to the NCRB freshman year, but should I really buy into this high-end athletic clothing trend and be hip with my newfound Baryassa (The Barrre Code’s branded name for “vinyassa yoga”) crowd?

Well... my Lululemon order arrives next week. I’ll let you know then if I’m converted =]

Barre In My Everyday Life

As I've discussed in my previous entry, I greatly value a sense of teamwork and community in whatever activity I do. The Barre Code represents both my physical and mental values that I carry out throughout other aspects of my life. In fact, my micro-cultures greatly influence each other, and despite their differences, the core aspects of these are similar. Spending daily workings out at The Barre Code has influenced other areas of my life, for example my experiences as a film student.

As a film student, I've felt the same camaraderie that I experienced during team sports. Working out at The Barre Code and working on film crews has helped me achieve the same sense of community I have been longing for in a physical setting. The more I push myself in Barre class, the harder I push myself in my creative work. I've learned to be a better motivational leader too because of the great role models at The Barre code. My own personal elaboration with the sense of sportsmanship in these structured classes at The Barre Code is similar to the support and leadership built into the hierarchy in film production classes here at U of M that keep me coming back.

Being a part of a team and being supportive is important to me. These social and environmental aspects are crucial external influences for me to continue in a program like this.

Whether it's sports or a film crew, I'm heavily influenced by a feeling of nostalgia, a yearning to relive past experiences that I enjoyed (like the support from my fellow players in team sports growing up) (Babin, 79). Throughout my life, I have been a very habitual consumer when it comes to products and activities. I'm used to an active lifestyle, and I miss it when it is not a part of my life.

If you want to learn more about the sense of community and hard work I'm talking about, check out the The Barre Code's Instagram Account. You'll see posts regarding healthy eating, new stretches, and meditation that all support the strong, motivational environment that I love so much. I'm a very visual person, and this really draws me - from my love of film/photography, to my craving for inspirational messages!

Life after team sports

I’ve been a tri-sport athlete since I was ten years old. After I graduated high school I had no idea how to work out on my own. I never even thought about "working out" because I was so used to training with a team and listening to a coach. My busy and ever changing college lifestyle and schedule has not since allowed for fitness within the confines of a team sport.

It wasn't until I came across a coupon during my sophomore year for a two week trial for $20 at an all female gym on campus, now called The Barre Code. I'd lost almost two years of working out regularly, so starting any kind of program seemed daunting. This, however, looked manageable. Two weeks? Twenty bucks? Sure, I could do this. What I didn't realize was that I was about to regain aspirations for health and fitness, finding fulfillment in many of the classes offered, including ballet barre centered strength classes, hot yoga (vinyasa), and cardio kickboxing. I surprisingly also gained back something I didn’t think I would find outside of sports: the support of a team, guidance of a coach, and working towards a physical goal.

              

The Barre Code differentiates itself from other gym options in the area through their women only membership and by offering a variety of different types of classes at different skill levels. This allows for them to cater to a variety of different clients with unique offerings (Babin, 13). The classes are designed so that beginners and advanced students can attend the same ones and make adjustments. I have been to Zumba classes before, and I hated them because I totally felt like a fish out of water, but Barre classes are simple, effective and engaging. They satisfied my need to train in a group setting, and I can adjust the workout to fit my current fitness level.

Because The Barre Code caters to female college students, they create mini-programs throughout the year. For example, there is a "Spring Break Boot Camp" with individual, goal-oriented end results. Their focus on consumer orientation in Ann Arbor's highly competitive gym market (we Ann Arbor folks love to be fit) keeps retention high because they hold value and satisfaction above everything else (Babin, 10). I know my fellow "Barre Bees," as we're affectionately called, and I look forward to attending class with my friends.
  My favorite thing about The Barre Code, however, is that there is not a scale in sight! The staff focus on helping us achieve tangible goals that we can keep track of qualitatively outside of weight itself. For example, for my inversion yoga practice I set the goal of holding a complete tripod position for 5 seconds by the end of the summer, and I achieved it.

Got my tripod down!

This gym doesn't feel like a gym, and I wouldn't have it any other way.