My 25th year of life was a decline in working out to say the least. I didn’t run much and actually reneged on running my first marathon. Even when purchasing Groupons and specials for Bikram yoga, the only yoga I practice, I didn’t go the entire month. All of that laziest resulted in me gaining a good 20 pounds, 12 of which I still have to lose before I am back to my normal weight. The goal is to lose 22 pounds, but first, let me lose these last 12.

On Saturday, I attended my first barre class at The Barre Code. In addition to running track, I was also a dancer and cheerleader as a child, and after hearing great things about barre classes, I thought I’d give it a try. Plus, Facebook grabbed my attention with an ad that said that 11/21 was the day the studio closest to me would offer free classes to the public.

As I write this, I am sore. My abs is where I feel it most, but it is a full body workout. I attended the Barre Code Basics class, which would be considered strength training. Despite knowing that I need to incorporate strength training in my routine rather than just running, it’s difficult for me to stay motivated to lift weights. However, the Barre Code class incorporated exercises that involved utilizing your own body weight as well as the barre and between the instructor and other students, I kept going.

Here’s a short breakdown of what Barre Code included in just 50 minutes: warm up, ab & core work, lower body, and arms. From various exercises on the floor to using the barre as a dancer would to work the hips, buns, and thighs (which are a blessing and a curse to me), we kept our body guessing throughout the class. Also, there are modifications for a good amount of the exercises, so you can tailor the workout to your current abilities.

After surviving my first class and feeling the fruits of my workout the day after, I plan to attend more classes. I want to run a marathon in 2016, so I could see this being a cross training workout if I don’t feel up to yoga. If you have a barre studio in your area, check it out. As I continue my fit thick journey, I’ll keep y’all posted as to what’s working for me.