Mischa Barton is becoming a trapeze artist! The actress has recently taken JUKARI Fit to Fly classes in Los Angeles. She likes more non-traditional weight loss methods. Created by Reebok and Cirque du Soleil, the hour-long total body workout and weight loss routine gives the sensation of flying while strengthening and lengthening the body through cardio, balance and core training on a trapeze-like bar. Learn more about this fascinating new workout below.
No stuntmen needed
Fit to Fly classes are about an hour long and involve the use of a trapeze-like bar called a Fly Set. “It was an unexpected, completely new experience,” says Barton. Because this device hangs from the ceiling—and because you need a radius of several feet to swing freely and perform all of the moves—you can’t do this workout at home: It’s rolling out gradually at Equinox fitness clubs throughout the country starting this spring, along with other gyms in major cities around the world.
What a class entails:
“During my trial run of the Fit to Fly workout, I had a lot of fun skipping, jumping, swinging, kicking, and stretching while hanging onto the Fly Set bar, surprised at how out of breath I was from literally just going in circles. The moves reminded me of a combination of step aerobics, Pilates, and strength-training moves I’ve done with resistance bands or stability balls.”
“One thing I really liked was that I was concentrating so hard on executing the moves properly, I had no choice but to lose myself entirely in the workout. I couldn’t think about the pile of papers on my desk or the stresses in my personal life. And I didn’t have time to gawk at the other women around me—and I know they weren’t looking (and laughing) at me, either.”
“Most of the workout involved the trapeze bar, except for what I found to be the most challenging part: laying on the ground with my feet suspended behind me in leg straps, holding myself up in a plank pose and attempting to do push-ups, while struggling to keep the Fly Set still. My abs were sore for days!”
Why it will work for you
Circus-style exercise classes aren’t exactly new, but this is the first one I’ve seen that really focuses on the cardio and strength-training aspects of hanging from a bar, rather than teaching acrobatic skills and cool-looking tricks. And that makes it a great option for women (and men) of all ages and fitness levels: Because you’re using your own body weight as resistance, you can modify the moves to make them as easy or as difficult as needed—leaning back and walking your feet further under the bar during a pull-up, positioning your body at a more challenging horizontal angle, for example.
If you’re looking for trapeze lessons or high-wire high jinks, you may be a bit disappointed with this intro-level class. But if you’re looking for a fun new cardio-plus-strength workout, this is definitely worth a try if it comes to a gym near you. (There’s no word yet whether classes will be offered to all Equinox members or whether a separate fee will be charged to members and/or nonmembers.)
Reebok and Cirque du Soleil’s goal with this project was to reach women who have forgotten that movement can be refreshing and rewarding. And while access will be limited, I’ll bet that those fortunate enough to take a class will indeed remember that fitness can be fun.
That’s not all that Mischa Barton does, here are 5 weight loss tips she tells about being fit:
- Take your dog for a walk. This will provide a good motivation to exercise every day. Barton loves to go walking with her little Pomeranian, Ziggy, and says that he helps keep her active and outdoors.
- Try Fitflops. Barton has been spotted wearing these special foam sandals, which are designed to tone your calves as you walk around in them. If Barton’s long, gorgeous legs are any indication, they seem to work.
- Get outside and play some sports. Barton is a big fan of fun outdoor sports like tennis and Frisbee. She has also been seen enjoying games of beach volleyball, and she is interested in athletes—Barton once dated English professional rugby player Mark Robinson.
- Go inline skating. Inline skating is a low-impact exercise that provides a strong cardio workout. It also does a good job of strengthening and toning the legs and torso. Barton loves to go skating around LA.
- Involve yourself in new and interesting exercises and activities. For her first leading role in the film “Walled In,” Barton performed all her own stunts. She says she burned off a lot of energy rigging, climbing and jumping for the stunts.
