As I sit at my desk, my legs are weak, my shoulders sore, my abs aching. No, I didn't get in a fender bender. Didn't run a marathon, either.
I just attended an hour-long Bar Method class before dawn.
The fitness technique was first conceived of in the 1950s by Lotte Berk, a German dancer who, after sustaining a back injury, combined her ballet bar routines with rehabilitative therapy for a system that incorporated strength and flexibility training.
The original concept has gone through some tweaking since those early years to become the Bar Method, a system that has built a strong following in 18 states and Canada — and Houston is the latest city to get in on the fitness craze.
CultureMap stopped by the Bar Method-Montrose studio, which opened in a sunny space next to Roots Bistro last November, to talk with owner Rachel Good about the benefits of the low-impact exercise. Watch the video above for more details.
The Bar Method incorporates muscle isolations techniques and ballet bar routines.
