It hit me as I faceplanted into the beige carpet beneath me.

After a two-minute static hold plank, I thought I was dying. Everything hurt and I wanted to vom, but, strangely, I also felt exhilarated. And then, as I was wiping away what I could no longer differentiate between sweat and tears, I thought to myself, “hey, this feels a lot like nursing school.”

At 29 years old, it’s safe to say I’ve spent a significant portion of my twenties at the bar. But at the barre? Not so much.

I first heard about barre classes about five years ago. They were this trendy new thing in the city designed to give you a dancer’s bod. Remembering what I looked like at seven years old in a pink leotard and tights trying, but failing, to turn my feet out to second position was enough to send me running for the hills. So I mulled it over for a good 5-10 seconds and then cut my losses and continued eating my sandwich.

But a few months ago while I was talking to a diabetic patient about how he needed to change his diet for the sake of his health, I really started to think about my own. Now, I have never been the epitome of health, but I have tried to watch what I eat for a while. And when I say “watch what I eat,” I mean I like to stare down at a double bacon cheeseburger as I’m inhaling it.

But, seriously. I needed to get my ass in gear. How could I spew out advice to people about how important it is to diet and exercise if I didn’t do it myself? I can’t preach what I don’t practice (which is why I’m becoming a nurse and not a doctor. HA! Just kidding. Kind of.).

So, I found this bike + barre studio a few months ago that’s close to where I live and I decided to give it a try. I started right after Christmas to get a head start on my New Year resolutions. (Just kidding. I don’t believe in New Year resolutions. I don’t understand what it is about opening a new calendar that makes people think they’re going to be better humans for the next 365 days. But anyway, I digress.)

If you live anywhere in the Bergen County, NJ area I strongly suggest you check out One Love Bike + Barre. The classes are amazing and the instructors are phenomenal. I have never in my life gotten my ass kicked like I do at these classes. I mean, I was sore in places I didn’t even know had muscle and I got an A in Anatomy & Physiology.

But seriously, I’m obsessed. I also just LOVE the studio. It has a such a friendly, homey feel. I really can’t say enough good things about it AND all the people that go/work there. And believe me, for me to say this about a place where exercise occurs, means a lot.

BUT, as great as it might be, barre and nursing school both still kick my ass on a daily basis and in strangely similar ways:

1. They’re both hard as f*%$. Like, harder than you could have ever anticipated. In fact, I had to run out of the middle of my first barre class to dry heave in the bathroom. (Like I said, I was never the epitome of health, so stop judging me, k?) And I definitely had a panic attack during my first nursing class, and almost every class thereafter. They’re hard, but isn’t everything that’s worth anything?
2. You get out what you put in. This is probably so cliché but it’s so true. I remember someone saying this about three weeks into my first semester of nursing school. If you don’t do the work, you’re not going to do well. It’s as simple as that. The same goes for barre, or any workout class for that matter. If you don’t work hard, or slack off every time you think the instructor isn’t watching, then what are you even going for? I’m not saying I don’t ever come down off my tippy toes to give my inner thighs some relief (because I actually do that every 5 seconds or so), but after I do, I get right back up.
3. You should be focusing on you. Sometimes this is a hard one, but it’s super important. There’s always going to be someone better than you at something. That’s the way it goes. But you really shouldn’t be competing with anyone when it comes to either of these things. So what if the person in front of you did better on your patho exam? And so what if the chick next to you can tuck like it’s her job while your tucks are a little, eh, not so very good looking. Whatever. Just keep tucking.
4. They push your limits. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, and mentally. But…
5. You keep going. Even when you don’t want to. Even when you think you can’t. You dig your toes a little deeper, raise your chin a little higher, push your shoulders a little further back, and keep going. Why? Because you can.

So, have I officially deterred you from ever trying barre or nursing? I hope not. I mean, what’s the fun in doing something easy, anyway?