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Home » Fitness » Fitness on the Water: Taking workouts to a new level – Shoreline Times

WESTBROOK >> Barefoot Bands. Its the insanely popular workout at Westbrooks Fitness on the Water thats strengthening, lengthening and toning bodies up and down the Shoreline and its coming to Branford on Saturday, July 15.

Witness a recent morning class. Dance music pulses through the sun-lit space. A group moves together like fitness marionettes, tethered to a rainbow of resistance bands they pull down from the ceiling.

Theyre on their feet. Theyre on their knees. Theyre on the floor. Theyre lunging, kicking, squatting, twisting, planking. Theyre working their shoulders, triceps, and biceps. Theyre getting down with the music. Theyre having a blast.

The mashup of yoga, Pilates, and barefoot cardio is the brainchild of Dana Brown, the ringleader of the morning festivities, as well as operations manager and fitness instructor at Fitness on the Water.

You pull down the colored bands that correspond to your fitness level so anyone can do it, said Brown, amid the scent of lavender and the tinkling sound of the waterwall in the spa-like sitting area on the grounds of Waters Edge Resort.

Its invigorating, its all-absorbing, its fun, it sets the tone for the rest of my day, said Becky Armstrong of Madison, whos not averse to traveling to the studios flagship location in Essex when theres a wait list.

Jennifer DiPasquale, who had suffered from chronic stress fractures and knee issues, is also a Barefoot Bands enthusiast.

Its fun, its challenging, and thank goodness, because its the only exercise I can do, said the Old Saybrook mother of two whos lost 21 pounds since joining the studio four months ago. Its gentle on the joints and it gives you stability and helps with balance.

Jillian Hill of Old Saybrook, a former marathoner and morning regular, had a similar take. The classes are a blast, she said. You get the benefit of a full cardio workout without having to spend hours on a treadmill. Plus youre working your whole body. Ive never been in better shape.

Theres a reason its so effective, according to Brown, a level 3 comprehensive certified Peak Pilates instructor, a designation thats involved 800 hours of training and has refined her ability to read bodies and identify imbalances.

For one thing, Barefoot Bands is part and parcel of the studios philosophy.

Fitness should be a fun and inviting activity and never a chore, said the lithe 42-year-old dynamo. Were about helping people of all ages and levels feel welcome to come in with their particular fitness goals and motivated to keep coming back to achieve them.

For another, Barefoot Bands, as with other classes offered by the studio Piloxing at the Barre, for example, a fusion of Pilates, boxing, and Barre is based on the principles of Pilates.

Ive been teaching fitness my whole life, Brown said. Pilates is the one form of exercise I can guarantee that if you do on a regular basis, your entire body changes. You build your bodys core strength. Your posture improves. Your muscles get longer and leaner.

That DiPasquale has seen palpable results is no surprise. Pilates is one of the only forms of exercise thats great for everyone no matter their age or fitness level, said Brown.

Its really an extension of physical therapy. Everything can be modified. Everything can be progressed. Its gentle but when done correctly, it can be extremely challenging and effective.

The same can be said of the Barre classes, of which Hill, who works in real estate at Seabury-Hill Realtors in New Haven, is a devotee. The full-body workout features a combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates, with the barre used as a prop for stretching and strengthening.

As with many of the classes at Fitness on the Water, the emphasis is less on how many reps you can do or how much weight you can lift than on precision and proper form, said Hill.

Thats because, according to Brown, form is everything. You have to master the basics. If you dont, if youre not doing it right, youre either going to get hurt or youre going to think its too easy.

That Susan Connelly, formerly with the Joffrey Ballet, is one of the Barre instructors, is by design. All of our instructors are very experienced, Brown said.

That said, you dont need to be a classically trained dancer to pli your way to a stronger body.

There are no superstars, said DiPasquale. There are people of every size. All of them, she said, the instructors get moving and keep moving. Dana [Brown] in particular is inspiring. She checks in with me about my knee. She makes me want to keep coming in and keep working harder.

Thats not to say that pulling down those resistance bands or bellying up to the barre wont be a challenge. Theres a reason Hillary Kennedy, who leads classes in Barre, Pilates, and Barefoot Bands, is known as Killary Hillary. Youre going to discover muscles you never knew you had, Brown said.

Of course, if Barefoot Bands, Piloxing at the Barre and Shockwave Rowing, a circuit challenge that includes a specially designed WaterRower machine as well as infrared saunas to cure insomnia and soothe arthritis seem like the latest fitness fads, the instructors at Fitness on the Water arent apologizing.

We offer classes, and services, that you can only find in the most cutting-edge studios in New York and L.A., said Brown.

Whats different with us is that we do it in a non-intimidating, encouraging environment with instructors who have the experience and know-how to modify workouts for anyone of any age or fitness level.

More than that, it seems, it works. I never imagined I could see these results, DiPasquale said. Barefoot Bands has changed my life.

Fitness on the Water is located at 1587 Boston Post Road in Westbrook. For more information, visit http://www.fitnessonthewater.com, call 860-391-8735, or email dana@fitnessonthewater.com. The Branford studio will be located at 469 East Main St. in the Planet Fitness building. For information on classes and schedules, visit http://www.fitnessonthewater.com or facebook.com/fitnessonthewaterbranford.

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Fitness on the Water: Taking workouts to a new level - Shoreline Times

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Home » Fitness » Fitness on the Water: Taking workouts to a new level – Shoreline Times