Are you ready to rock those crop tops? It’s almost time to bust out your best festival wear so we asked Vanessa Henderson, Pure Barre Hollywood studio owner, for some tips on how to get your body toned and prepped. Here are some Pure Barre fitness tips to get any LA girl ready for the biggest musical festival of the season:
1. To shine in those cut-offs, try this quick but effective Pure Barre thigh exercise. To target the tops of your thighs and get your heart rate up, come down onto you knees, hips-width apart. Lift your seat one or two inches above your heels, and tuck your hips under. You will feel that burn right away with this one! Begin to tuck continuously while varying your arm placement, or the direction of your tuck. Try for 8x in eight different variations.
2. To rock that halter you need tight triceps! Try this triceps scorcher by coming down onto the floor, feet hips-width apart, hands placed directly behind your seat and fingertips forward. Lift your seat up an inch above the floor, and shift your hips back until your seat is right between your fingertips. Make sure to roll your shoulders back to keep your upper triceps and shoulder blades firing! Begin to bend and straighten the elbows, keeping your seat back and abs in tight. Try variations in tempo for an even deeper burn!
3. For dancing-the-night-away stamina, try this Pure Barre Platform cardio move! Stand on your right leg, with the left slightly behind, parallel. Hinge forward from your waist and reach the arms straight back behind you. Hold your arms firm (option to grab weights if you want to really go for it!) and begin to quickly bring your left knee in to the chest and then extend it back towards the floor behind you. Repeat this 10x each side until you get the heart rate up!
4. Hydration! Water is key to any healthy workout. Make sure to hydrate between exercises and after class after a good sweat sesh to keep your body healthy and happy. Water is key to keeping your energy up, especially when you are out in the sun all day at Coachella!
5. Commitment to one healthy decision (exercise, food, beauty, mind) every day leading up to the festival – even if it’s just finding 10 minutes a day. Even switching in one healthy snack, or one 10-minute ab sprint a day can make a difference!
6. Try to find a balance between strength training and cardio to keep your body guessing to improve results. Try taking a Pure Barre class three times a week, and a cardio class like Pure Barre Platform twice a week to see the quickest results! Platform will supplement your strength training to increase your stamina and overall strength.
7. Get your beauty rest. You may not get the most sleep at the festival, so rest up now to feel energized and healthy all weekend long!
About Vanessa Henderson, Pure Barre Hollywood studio owner
Vanessa grew up in San Diego and has been dancing since the age of 3. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a double degree in Dance and Communication Studies, she continued to dance professionally throughout Los Angeles. She spent 4 years dancing for the NBA Clippers, as well as backup dancing in videos and live shows for various artists including Beyonce, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Willow Smith, Outkast, Tatu’, Pink, Katy Perry, and Bon Jovi. Vanessa fell in love with Pure Barre in 2009, as it was a perfect accompaniment to dancing, and kept her fit, strong, and feeling great. She began teaching Pure Barre in 2010 and has not looked back since! Vanessa is passionate about helping people maintain a fun, active and healthy lifestyle and loves having the daily opportunity to help others experience how Pure Barre can change your body and your life!
When Vanessa is not at the barre, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and dancing in the sky performing aerial arts.
