What the heck is Four Elements Flow? That’s what my husband asked when he read the name of the newest video workout on ellenbarrett.com. It’s a good question…allow me to explain. Four Elements Flow is a 45minute fusion low-impact cardio workout where instead of focusing on cardio, strength and stretch, it brings awareness to air, water, fire and earth. The workout fuses yoga, barre and Pilates in a seamless, all standing, flow. Why divert attention from the usual...
Stretch is as important as strength. One is not more important than the other. They take equal billing – in fact, stretch and strength need each other. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…one without the other turns the body into a hot mess! Here’s the breakdown: When strength is in greater proportion to flexibility, the body is a ticking time bomb. Any little movement could reek havoc, tearing muscles and taxing joints. Mobility is limited and...
How about this…how about we all stop, take a minute, and think,”Hey, do my off-the-mat habits negatively influence my exercise routine?” As a trainer, I’ve learned it’s not on-the-mat that’s the problem – it’s simply getting to the mat in the first place! Here are what I deem as the top five biggest habits that set us up for exercise success:1. Organization (a.k.a., get your sh!t together!)Know where everything is – your keys, your water bottle, your life. Do you know...
I’ve known many people over the years who just didn’t have any inspiration, for workouts or otherwise, and I see a lack of inspiration as a root cause of a lot of suffering, a lot of dreams deferred. The mistake is that people wait around for inspiration to strike. They think it comes from the outside. And sure, inspiration can come from the outside. For example, I watched US Open Tennis and was so inspired,...
A new workout just arrived on Ellen Barrett Let’s Move! called Power & Balance. It’s a 30minute Ballet-inspired strengthening experience with lots of grounding, core connection and stability challenge. We filmed in a new location and I’m happy to report, Amy and Krystal joined me again, so you’ll see their smiling faces throughout class. Power is more than just strength. Power is strength integrated. Power is the entire universe of your body working as one, and it hinges on two things: 1. accessing strength and...
