Get in Shape, Walker County!

Get your yoga pants ready, because a new workout craze has landed in Jasper.On a sun-sweltering afternoon, a group of fifteen women are cloistered inside an air-conditioned studio, moving from station-to-station, shuttling between cones, performing ballet-like sit-ups, hopping and spinning with medicine balls, and snapping a heavy rope as if it were the reigns of a bridle. This circusesque atmosphere is only part of one of newest workout regimens to hit Walker County, Alabama, and has several people enthused to shatter their own fitness goals.YBFit, a workout inspired by the barre training method, opened its doors two years ago.Yvonne Brown, owner of YBFit, opened the business after a casual brunch suggestion by Megan Cervantes, Yvonne’s daughter. “On Mother’s Day, I took my mom to brunch,” Megan says. “We went to a barre studio. I told her she needed to get back to her passion for fitness and open a barre studio. She did two months later.”The concepts of YBFit (including the name) were all exclusive and original, the brainchild of Yvonne, who designed the logo, chose the colors and the style of classes. As with any start-up business, Yvonne and Megan not only had to build the idea, they had to sell the idea. Given the fact that barre suspension training was relatively unknown in the Jasper community, the pair knew there would be some challenges to get people to walk through the door. Since that time, the business has grown from a two-person class to averaging twelve to fifteen people. “The first class was family, and we had about two people,” says Megan. “But we did not let that discourage us, because business is always a rough start.”Barre training is low-impact and helps strengthens core muscles. The exercises utilized in barre not only tone, lengthen, and strengthen, but promote increased flexibility and balance. “There are a lot of stretches between exercises,” Megan says.Members can expect various styles of barre training, depending on the class. There’s cardio barre and platform barre, which is a mixture of traditional barre exercises along with suspension training and platforms. There’s barre boot camp—a tabata-style workout—that includes high-intensity interval training.Classes are six days a week and the schedule varies:Monday: 9:30, 12:00, 5:15Tuesday: 10:30, 5:15Wednesday: 9:30, 12:00, 5:15Thursday: 10:30, 5:15Friday: 9:30, 12:00Saturday: 9:30Although 99 percent of YBFit members are women, men are also welcome, as Yvonne and Megan suggest.To sign up for classes or connect with YBFit, an app can be downloaded onto any Android or iPhone device. You’ll enter your email and 35501 for the zip code. You can also pay through the app and sign up for classes. And if electronic stuff isn’t your bag, they do allow walk-ins.The cool thing with YBFit is that not only will you get in shape, you’ll be supporting local entrepreneurship by signing up.“There’s no other YBFit,” Megan says. “We’re the only one.” 78YBFit is located at Highlands on 4th in downtown Jasper. For more information, call (205) 221-0343 or visit www.ybfitjasper.com or find them on Facebook.