By Katie Barrett
Northeastern CO-OP
As one of the newest team members at DHAC, I am thrilled to be sharing the responsibility of teaching Butts N Guts classes on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you’ve never heard of this class, it is a high energy, tightening and toning 45 minute workout for your glutes and abs. We like to say “if you don’t pay attention to your butts n guts, nobody will!” However, improving the appearance of your rear and tummy muscles is not the only benefit.
The importance of having strong glutes is often overlooked. Many aches and pains can result from weakness in these muscles. Without strong hips and glutes, the back can be forced to overextend, causing pain. Hamstring strains can also occur if the glute muscles are weak, as they will be forced to overcompensate for the closely related muscle group. Even knee pain can occur if glutes are not stable and strong. Exercises such as squats, hip bridges, and lunges are used in class to keep your glutes strong and toned!
Strengthening of the abdominals is also extremely important in maintaining a healthy body. A strong core will support your back and improve your balance and agility. Your abdominals are used in literally every physical activity that you do. Whether it is running, climbing stairs, or lifting weights (or your kids!), your core has something to do with your ability to perform that activity. We will take you through a series of various and challenging ab exercises to strengthen and sculpt everyone’s trouble area: the tummy!
As an instructor, it is always great to see new (and old) faces in class. So if you are interested in improving the appearance and HEALTH of your body, give Butts N Guts a try. You will both look and feel better in your jeans!