Maybe it’s the colder weather or perhaps it’s my hormones, but recently my trusty high-impact, cardio-heavy workouts just haven’t been giving me the endorphin buzz they used to, leaving me more lacklustre than energised. Whereas previously I could rely on a quick HIIT workout at home to blow away any cobwebs (both mental and physical), lately I just haven’t been feeling it. Enter stage right, Ballet barre for home.
I'm someone who is naturally highly strung, so was interested to learn that my high-octane exercise regime wasn’t doing me any favours – studies, including this 2021 paper, show that while HIIT can indeed benefit mental health, too much of a good thing can overstress your body, dampening metabolism and increasing stress markers such as cortisol levels.
