The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Taking fitness workouts to a new level
Cutting-edge Fitness on the Water opening studio in Branford
WESTBROOK » Barefoot Bands. It’s the insanely popular workout at Westbrook’s Fitness on the Water that’s strengthening, lengthening and toning bodies up and down the Shoreline and it’s coming to Branford on Saturday, July 15.
Witness a recent morning class. Dance music pulses through the sun-lit space. A group moves together like fitness marionettes, tethered to a rainbow of resistance bands they pull down from the ceiling.
They’re on their feet. They’re on their knees. They’re on the floor. They’re lunging, kicking, squatting, twisting, planking. They’re working their shoulders, triceps, and biceps. They’re getting down with the music. They’re having a blast.
The mashup of yoga, Pilates, and barefoot cardio is the brainchild of Dana Brown, the ringleader of the morning festivities, as well as operations manager and fitness instructor at Fitness on the Water.
“You pull down the colored bands that correspond to your fitness level so anyone can do it,” said Brown, amid the scent of lavender and the tinkling sound of the waterwall in the spa-like sitting area on the grounds of Water’s Edge Resort.
“It’s invigorating, it’s all-absorbing, it’s fun, it sets the tone for the rest of my day,” said Becky Armstrong of Madison, who’s not averse to traveling to the studio’s flagship location in Essex when there’s a wait list.
Jennifer DiPasquale, who had suffered from chronic stress fractures and knee issues, is also a Barefoot Bands enthusiast.
“It’s fun, it’s challenging, and thank goodness, because it’s the only exercise I can do,” said the Old Saybrook mother of two who’s lost 21 pounds since joining the studio four months ago. “It’s gentle on the joints and it gives you stability and helps with balance.”
Jillian Hill of Old Saybrook, a former marathoner and morning regular, had a similar take. “The classes are a blast,” she said. “You get the benefit of a full cardio workout without having to spend hours on a treadmill. Plus you’re working your whole body. I’ve never been in better shape.”
There’s a reason it’s so effective, according to Brown, a level 3 comprehensive certified Peak Pilates instructor, a designation that’s involved 800 hours of training and has refined her ability to read bodies and identify imbalances.
For one thing, Barefoot Bands is part and parcel of the studio’s philosophy.
“Fitness should be a fun and inviting activity and never a chore,” said the lithe 42-year-old dynamo. “We’re about helping people of all ages and levels feel welcome to come in with their particular fitness goals and motivated to keep coming back to achieve them.”
For another, Barefoot Bands, as with other classes offered by the studio — Piloxing at the Barre, for example, a fusion of Pilates, boxing, and Barre — is based on the principles of Pilates.
“I’ve been teaching fitness my whole life,” Brown said. “Pilates is the one form of exercise I can guarantee that if you do on a regular basis, your entire body changes. You build your body’s core strength. Your posture improves. Your muscles get longer and leaner.”
That DiPasquale has seen palpable results is no surprise. “Pilates is one of the only forms of exercise that’s great for everyone no matter their age or fitness level,” said Brown.
“It’s really an extension of physical therapy. Everything can be modified. Everything can be progressed. It’s gentle but when done correctly, it can be extremely challenging and effective.”
The same can be said of the Barre classes, of which Hill, who works in real estate at Seabury-Hill Realtors in New Haven, is a devotee. The full-body workout features a combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates, with the barre used as a prop for stretching and strengthening.
As with many of the classes at Fitness on the Water, “the emphasis is less on how many reps you can do or how much weight you can lift than on precision and proper form,” said Hill.
That’s because, according to Brown, “form is everything. You have to master the basics. If you don’t, if you’re not doing it right, you’re either going to get hurt or you’re going to think it’s too easy.”
That Susan Connelly, formerly with the Joffrey Ballet, is one of the Barre instructors, is by design. “All of our instructors are very experienced,” Brown said.
That said, you don’t need to be a classically trained dancer to plié your way to a stronger body.
“There are no superstars,” said DiPasquale. “There are people of every size.” All of them, she said, “the instructors get moving and keep moving. Dana [Brown] in particular is inspiring. She checks in with me about my knee. She makes me want to keep coming in and keep working harder.”
That’s not to say that pulling down those resistance bands or bellying up to the barre won’t be a challenge. There’s a reason Hillary Kennedy, who leads classes in Barre, Pilates, and Barefoot Bands, is known as Killary Hillary. “You’re going to discover muscles you never knew you had,” Brown said.
Of course, if Barefoot Bands, Piloxing at the Barre and Shockwave Rowing, a circuit challenge that includes a specially designed WaterRower machine — as well as infrared saunas to cure insomnia and soothe arthritis — seem like the latest fitness fads, the instructors at Fitness on the Water aren’t apologizing.
“We offer classes, and services, that you can only find in the most cuttingedge studios in New York and L.A.,” said Brown.
“What’s different with us is that we do it in a non-intimidating, encouraging environment with instructors who have the experience and know-how to modify workouts for anyone of any age or fitness level.”
More than that, it seems, it works. “I never imagined I could see these results,” DiPasquale said. “Barefoot Bands has changed my life.”
Fitness on the Water is at 1587 Boston Post Road in Westbrook. For more information, visit www.fitnessonthewater.com, call 860-391-8735, or email dana@ fitness on the water. com. The Branford studio will be at 469 E. Main St. in the Planet Fitness building. For information on classes and schedules, visit www. fitness on the water. com or facebook.com/fitnessonthewaterbranford.