Just when I thought I was tired of workouts based on movies (yes, there have been a few of these), I tried Washington Sports Club’s “Disney Pixar Brave: Change Your Fate Workout.”
I think I got a workout just saying the name of this class!
To be honest, I knew little about this movie. I think it’s animated and there’s some princess-type with red hair. So I didn’t know what to expect, but hey, any time I can incorporate a workout within my work day, I’m a happy camper.
Well, it turns out this ginger Princess is into archery, sword fighting and horseback riding (to the disdain of her mother) and you know what that means -- the people at WSC got to break out their bows (reminiscent of the Hunger Games workout) and wooden swords.
The class consisted of 45 minutes of strength training and cardio-type exercises, the majority of which included these props. We used the bow while working on plies and squats and you really felt the burn in your shoulders and rear deltoids (I just learned that term).
The sword helped you to engage your core, so we incorporated that one while doing lunges. Though after a few minutes, I was so exhausted that I really wanted to use it to poke somebody (Just kidding. Namaste!).
And then last, we simulated horseback riding using a small, slightly weighted ball that we put between our thighs and held squats.
Health
Lessons Learned:
1. Using props keeps me entertained. I am a TV producer after all, and my attention span lasts approximately 2 to 3 seconds.
2. When I’m entertained I work harder. When I get bored, I tend to just stop what I’m doing and then wonder why everyone else is so sweaty.
3. While props can be beneficial for exercise, the more tired and sweaty I get, the more I want to use them for acts of violence. Just kidding ... sort of! Namaste!
