Two days late, not on a Friday, but I am so excited to write a few words that I never thought I’d say again a year and a half ago.
I’m working at the front desk at a fitness studio!
Since May 14, I’ve been spending my Saturday mornings at Moveology, housed in the gorgeous historic building that once was Barre Body Studio’s home. I’ve been creating training documents, strengthening my core in Pilates classes, and trying to figure out how to put into words how excited I am to be back home. If you follow my instagram stories, you may have picked up on the fact that my last couple of weeks have been very… full and complicated, to put it kindly. It’s been a lot. And through that “a lot”, I’ve also been spending a ton of time at Moveology, training new karma staff, which has absolutely given me a place to ground myself. Moveology brands itself as “not your average gym” and that is completely on point.
But you’re not here to read about my emotions! (At least not in this post… trust me, that will be coming, in a delightfully vague yet inspiring format. Hopefully. OMG, Erin, get back on track.) You’re also not here for a professional, well organized, objective review of the studio. You go to places like Fit-City Guide for that. You come here for me to gush about things I love and hope that some of the love rubs off on you. So, without further ado, here is my non-expert wrap up on all the things that makes Moveology great – fitness from a non-fitness girl.
The Location
The Ramsay Design Studio location (1202 20 Ave SE) is pure magic. I don’t know what it is about this space, but you walk through the door and immediately feel like you are in a safe welcoming space. A little community is popping up between all the businesses on Moveology’s side of the building, which is super cool to see!
Important – the studio is centrally located with lots of parking and easy access via transit. It’s right across the street from Dandy Brewing one way, and the Snowden Building (home of Esme Beauty Boutique and Calgary Heritage Roasting Company) the other way. It’s also only moments from Inglewood proper so there are lots of fun options to head out to after a class.
The Classes
So, here’s the cool thing about Moveology. It’s not just barre. It’s even not just barre and pilates. There is a true mix of barre, yoga, pilates, and strength/”fitness” classes. I have been an on-and-off dedicated barre star for the better part of a decade and I was absolutely thrilled to add in something different… to do things I’ve never even thought I might do. (Ugh, how cheesy is that? I’ve tried to rephrase it a bunch of times, but I can’t because it’s just true.) There are class descriptions on the website, but I know you want my non-expert descriptions… So here’s my breakdown of the classes offered, because I know you need to know:
Move Barre – the classic. Lots of pulses, isometric holds and positions that will remind you vaguely of dance class and burn like nothing else, interspersed with some cardio, weights and core.
Move Core Stretch – 20 min of barre, 20 min of core, 20 min of a well-earned stretch. There’s no cardio – both of your feet will never leave the ground at the same time – but you’ll still feel it tomorrow.
Move HIIT – Honestly, I’ve never taken Move HIIT because I am a wimp who hates to jump, but I have worked during Move HIIT. It’s a HIIT class wearing a barre hat and it is exactly the right class for cardio lovers.
Move Strength Sweat – also kind of barre, but also kind of a low-impact cardio class. You move constantly, you use weights almost the entire time, you will sweat profusely, but you’ll never do squat jumps. For me, it redefined what cardio was because I always just pictured repetitive jumping. It’s one of the classes I’ll take if I’m looking for something hard. (But do-able. Always do-able.)
Move Power – not barre. This is a circuit-based strength class, full of functional fitness movements. I regularly use 10 lb weights in this class (with 5 lbs nearby for when I need to scale down). There are always so many modifications offered to push you, but scale it to your own level. This is my current favourite when I want to be pushed hard.
Move Yoga – Yes, it’s yoga! We have three different instructors, who will all put their personal spin on a flow class. I’m obsessed.
Move Pilates – Okay, but what I am really obsessed with is Pilates. The things that these simple, tiny movements can do for my core strength? The way the burn sneaks up on you? The body awareness that feeds all the way over into barre and power?
Full disclosure – I wrote this post at the studio and just heard someone shout “my butt is on fire” from the studio. Amazing.
The Vibe
This is the most subjective but most important element of a studio. And let me tell you, the vibe at Moveology is everything. Maybe I can actually encapsulate it best by roughly quoting another client. I asked her how her class was and she looked at me then said “I love it here. I love how you can just come and change it to be the best that you can do and you know that you’ve always done something”.
And that’s the thing. Every class will offer ample modifications and in every class, there will be people who are at different stages in their fitness journey. There will always be someone who isn’t jumping (that someone is usually me). The instructors are incredible at creating a space where they push you, but also meet you where you are. No matter how fit or unfit you think you are, there will be something for you. It will never get easier, it will just get different. And, for me, at least, it always reminds me that I can do hard things.
Right as I finished this post, I got an email reminding me that my first Moveology class was a year ago, when it was just a pop-up in the Barre Body Studio space. So here’s to another year, at the barre or on our mats.
Come join me.