Fitness trainer puts heart into Pilates

(Post-Standard) - When she entered the world of fitness 20 years ago, exercise was about looking good.

"Now it's really about functioning and living great and living well and avoiding the hospital as much as possible. . . . It's prevention," says Ellen Barrett, 32, a fitness expert who grew up in Manlius. She has made a name for herself (it's on the cover of exercise videos, a Web site and, soon, a book) by infusing a cardiovascular workout into a Pilates routine.

Barrett teaches classes at Crunch Fitness centers in New York City and works as a personal trainer for celebrities such as actress Christina Ricci and Heather Mills McCartney, the wife of musician Paul McCartney.

Pilates is a popular style of exercise that focuses on breathing and is designed to stretch, strengthen and balance the body. Barrett adds weights and some rhythmic movement to turn it into a cardiovascular workout. She says it's catching on in studios in New York City and Los Angeles, and in living rooms across the country.

Her recorded workouts sell for $9.99 in video and $14.98 in compact disc. The packaging for her "Fat-Burning Pilates" describes "calorie-burning cardio along with Pilates-based toning." It's a 45-minute routine.

Barrett is such a fan of Pilates because it requires no fancy equipment or clothing and can be done so easily at home. The weights are light, no more than 2 pounds, and bottles of water can easily be substituted.

"It flatters the female physique in particular because it makes the muscles longer. There's no bulk. Everyone wants that long, lean body, and they want to do it in a peaceful way."

Staying fit used to be a struggle for Barrett, but she says Pilates changed that.

"I used to have to work at it. I used to have to be consumed by (working out,)" she says. "I think Pilates has definitely calmed me down. I really appreciate my body now, maintaining a healthy weight without having to obsess about it."

Barrett started getting fit in junior high school, taking aerobic classes at the Limestone Tennis Club. The aerobic instructors became her role models.

"I felt the women were empowered,"

she says. "I loved it. I just thought it was so fun."

She started teaching aerobics when she went to the University of Connecticut. The gym needed aerobics instructors, and when Barrett was asked whether she could teach, "I told them, 'Sure I can teach,' even though I never really taught."

Barrett kept teaching aerobics after she graduated and went to Syracuse University for her master's degree in education. During that period, she started a corporate fitness program. She and other instructors would take aerobic classes into various workplaces. Barrett began to wonder why she was so intent on getting a master's degree in education when she was already doing what she wanted to do.

Friends were skeptical that she could turn fitness into a living. Barrett knew she could and that she'd have a better shot in California, so she moved there in 1997 after graduation. Fitness was huge in California.

"The fitness industry is still so young. It didn't exist 20 years ago. There weren't gyms on every corner, and now there are," she says.

With so many Americans fighting obesity, she believes the fitness industry will continue to grow.

Barrett learned about Pilates in California, when it wasn't accessible to the average person. The classes were taught in exclusive clubs and studios. She liked the first class she took.

"It gave so much energy," Barrett says.

But she wanted more. "I also believe you need cardio," she says. "The only flaw with Pilates is, it's not cardio."

She says with so many Americans wanting to lose weight, for Pilates to make a difference, it needs some cardiovascular elements. So she added the rhythmic movement and the weights.

A couple years ago, she embarked on a 132-city FiTour, teaching other aerobics teachers about her new style of Pilates. One of the cities she toured was New York City, where she had dinner with Steve Inglese, a friend from college. They continued a long-distance relationship for more than a year. Then, Barrett moved back to New York City in September. The couple plans to elope to Montana next month.

"Montana's my favorite state, with the most amazing clean, fresh air."

She'll be back in time for the release of her next video: "Crunch, Burn & Firm Pilates," which will be available in stores Sept. 7.