Cultivating Workout Enthusiasm With Ellen Barrett

Cultivating Workout Enthusiasm

“Let’s go!” “Let’s eat!” “Let’s do it!” Let’s Move! Yes, let’s! There is a sense of enthusiasm in phrases like these. It’s precisely that sense of enthusiasm I want to convey in classes and on my website because it makes it way easier to get to your workout, and enjoy it. Workout enthusiasm is a mindset anyone can possess. Here’s how to cultivate it:  1. First off – remember it’s a privilege to have a human body, no matter what condition it is in. You’re alive...

Hip Tips With Ellen Barrett

Hip Tips

It’s tight hips season! Well, at least it is for me and most of the people I work with. It’s like the tension from winter has moved out of our shoulders and is now lodged in our hips. Tension makes us vulnerable. It drains our energy, doesn’t feel good, and often makes us more susceptible to injury. So what’s a girl to do?  First off, give yourself a bit more warm-up time. For example, if you’re heading out...

Five-Star Fusion With Ellen Barrett

There’s a New Workout (and it’s an Extravaganza!)

Five-Star Fusion is a smorgasbord. It’s not a restaurant review (as my husband thought it sounded like 😂), but it’s just as delicious. Yes, movement when it keeps us in an invigorated state – and doesn’t cross the line into irritation – can be downright delicious.  I love taking classes and I do try new workouts whenever I get the chance. My favorite types of classes to teach and to take run the gamut, but they...

Ellen Barrett "Youthful Movement"

You Know What’s Youthful?

When our society discusses the idea of “youthfulness” it focuses on  wrinkle-free skin or “being able to eat anything I want without gaining weight.” Something that gets overlooked (and something we truly have a lot of control over) is youthful movement. What does that look like? Well, I’ve boiled it down to two things: it’s “capable” coupled with “ease.” Youthful movement equates to a big comfort zone.  Can you sit on the floor and play with puppies? Can you run...

Ellen Barrett Let's Move!

Ever Since 2020…

It always goes back to empowered wellness. Movement – which I think is a life-changing component – is still just one component. There are a myriad of components, big and small, obvious and not-so-obvious, from getting proper sunlight, to having solid relationships, to making sure nutrition levels are strong. So many things can contribute to a healthy life – the list really does go on and on.  Since 2020,  I’ve become a bit of a “plant lady” and...

Ellen Barrett Mindful Movement

Your Workout’s Job

If you take note of how you typically move during an average day, not including your workout, you’ll find it to be mostly done in the sagittal plane. Walking is in the sagittal plane. Sitting down and up from a chair is in the sagittal plane. The action of riding a bike is in the sagittal plane. The spine does tend to engage in more movement variety, like twisting (transverse plane) and side bending (frontal...

Tip Toes

Rise Up

If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see we’re all on our tip toes. This action is called a relevé and I’m a big fan. In fact, if you’ve done my classes, you know it’s one of my signature moves. Here are the top five reasons why I incorporate the relevé into a workout whenever possible:  They strengthen the muscles of the feet.  They promote stabilization of the ankle joint.  They strengthen 360degrees around the core. They provide a...

Back At It

Back at it

There are 33 individual interlocking bones that form your spinal column. The top 24 bones are moveable, while the lower vertebrae (in the sacrum and coccyx region) are fused together and therefore don’t articulate. This is so “yin and yang” – stable and set at the trunk, free and flowing at the crown. Did you know the spine, your spine, is a genius, sophisticated design? What a stroke of luck it is to have one! Here are 10 ways...

The Wisest one Word Sentence?

There’s a term I heard recently that really resonated – air bathing. It’s like sun bathing but with air instead. I am, for sure, a bona fide air bather. I love love love being in an environment, ideally amongst the trees, far away from highways and other pollutants, just breathing it all in. Basically, I love air. Here’s why you should too:  Breathing is fuel. Because of breathing, you and I are able to move, talk, be, and...

Ten Toes In Ellen Barrett Blog

Ten Toes In

Every once in a while an athlete really catches my eye, and without knowing any of their legendary plays or stats, I’ll ask, “Hey, who’s that?” I tend to hone in on body language, form, breathing, and other things like that. Not knowing much about the sport helps me look beyond the sport and simply see the art of the athlete.  One such athlete – a true artist – is a football player on the Kansas...