Barre Blast Class and Starbucks VIA Review!

Today’s post is about two of my favorite things..fitness and coffee.

Fitness:

Yesterday I went to the Yoga Room in Astoria to take a Pilates Barre Blast class. I got one of the best presents ever from my friend Beth(a gift certificate there) so I wanted to take full advantage of it. Beth, her friend Ashley and I all went to the class. Ashley goes to the yoga room often and was telling me about the best classes there. I can’t wait to try the hot vinyasa, which is supposed to be awesome. (Ashley is also a blog reader and it was SO nice to meet her…hi Ashley!) I can’t wait to take more classes there with both of them.

The Barre Blast class was very similar to Core Fusion and the Bar Method, minus the pretzel moves. It was full body work, starting with lots of thigh work, doing pilates and dance moves that really burned. There also was lots of pushups and bear crawls. The leg portion was definitely the longest, which I’ve found is usually the case with barre classes, and then arms and abs. There was not one part of my body that wasn’t screaming over the hour and after. And of course I loved every second of it.

The funny part is, is that halfway through my class I realized the instructor was my neighbor. As in literal next door neighbor. Our building isn’t very social…or maybe it’s just me…but I introduced myself to her after class. She was super nice and I can’t wait to take more classes with her, because she definitely kicked my butt. The Yoga Room was a very welcoming place and I can’t wait to go back. The class was $18 and you can get a student discount (if you are a student..which I’m not.)

I loved being in an actual class again. I LOVE the core fusion dvds, but I just don’t push myself as much when I’m in my own living room.

Coffee:

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I have to share with you my recent obsession with VIA from Starbucks. My day usually would go something like this: wake up, have coffee, go to work with coffee, teach, teach, teach, drink some water, want a coffee, teach more, want a coffee even more because my students still do not know their math facts or how to divide and then go home. I have a mini coffee/hot water maker that someone at work lets me use, but she’s very adamant of not putting coffee in it. (She’s a tea drinker). So I have tea on most days, especially during the cold winter months. Some days, tea is great, but others you just NEED a coffee. My co-teacher and I look at each other basically daily and go, “we really wish we had a coffee”.Finally it came to my co-teacher that we should get some VIA. Now when I think of instant coffee, I think of the brand my grandma gets at the supermarket. I am greatly turned off to this kind because I always see the coffee grounds floating in the water, so I was a bit skeptical of VIA. However, this is NOT the case with VIA at ALL!

I have tried the Columbian VIA and the vanilla VIA. I usually have my coffee with a smidge of skim milk and sugar but for some reason I drink the VIA black. As a matter of fact the vanilla VIA was too sweet for me black, so I didn’t like that one.

This is a great option for needed coffee in a pinch without a coffee maker. I would actually go so far to say that I would drink this daily if something happened to my coffee maker, or I was stranded on an island without one.

Okay I’m done.This was my longest post ever.

Have you ever done a barre class or had VIA? Did you like both, neither or one?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Today’s the last day!

Disclaimer: I bought the VIA with my own money.

Tagged as: barre class, coffee, Exercise, Fitness, giveaway, health-fitness, starbucks, via, workout