Be Well: Building Strength, Cardio and Mindfulness at 'The Class'

<div class="block">Linda Lopes, teacher at The Class, joined Cheddar News to talk about the latest fitness hype at &#39;The Class.&#39; It&#39;s a group fitness course that covers a wide range of routines aimed at boosting cardio, strength, mobility and mindfulness. </div>

beWell

Thanks Elizabeth. You know, a lot of times people are used to meditating in quiet rooms and are low lid and they're focusing. Well, not today, baby. We are going to meditate and movement with a whole new class in New York City called the class. And Linda Lopes is here to tell us a little bit more about what is this class? Because you know, it's been endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow and Stone. All the celebrities love this class. The class. So what is it? Thanks Shannon. The class is a method that blends cardio strength training and body movement and mindfulness. So we're getting a good workout and we're also working inwards. Ok? So show me one of the main moves that you guys would do in this class for an entire song. Yeah. So for example, let's start with squash. We're gonna get on the bean, we're gonna lower and lift and you just literally keep doing this the whole time. Yeah. For a whole song. Steady your bra. OK? And this is where the meditation comes in because we don't have to think about the movement. We're already doing the movement and we can just focus on our breathing and other things happening in our body. Ok. So what should I be thinking about or doing, noticing the sensations in your body? Oh, my legs hurt. That's a sensation. Send your breath there. OK. God. Notice the temperature in your body. It's getting hot. Keep clearing and cleansing through your bra. Ok? I can't imagine you doing this for an entire song. I'm already on fire doing this. My legs are burning the music and the beat carries us through. OK. Let's do a little relaxation move. I know you shake a lot in here too. So I'm tired of that one. What is it with the shake? Show me how they would do the. So we're just gonna shake from our feet all the way up through our head. I like this one. And what does this do? Yeah. So shaking is great to release energy and to awaken the body as well. Oh OK. So now we're awake. How often, how many times do you shake during the class? It all depends on how the teachers want to incorporate that into the, the method and it could be like a relaxing thing to move on to the next one. Absolutely. OK. So what's the next move? Yeah. So, um I'll show you a jack and clear jumping jacks, right? So you'll reach your arms. However, then we'll alternate reaching the arms forward. OK. So I'll alternate. So I don't hit you and then we do this and then we do while we're doing this. So a lot of times in this movement, we'll bring in sound, which is what also makes the class really unique. So I'll show you here, ha ha ha ha like that. And so we're not screaming, we're not yelling, we're letting it out, we're letting it out from the depths of our being and sound is great because it allows us to release stored energy that might feel stagnant, that might feel heavy in the body so that we clear space, we open up the body more so we can have a deeper practice and real quick. What is the greatest benefit of doing this class? Stronger body, increased endurance, increased emotional resiliency, reduced anxiety, greater sense of presence and self. I could go on.