If you have not tried Barre yet, you may want to get acquainted. About a month ago, after consistently practicing dance cardio and pilates, I decided to give barre a try. Barre is a strengthening workout that is a mix of ballet, pilates, and yoga, basically my favorite exercises. While barre is inspired by dance, it is more focused on strength training than it is on perfect technique. I started my barre journey on YouTube and have since tried it at fitness studio, Pure Barre. Unlike a lot of exercises, barre concentrates on using slow and focused movements to build strength.
Related: I Tried The Pure Barre Intro Class: Here’s What Happened
Since then, I have fallen in love with the exercise. I was surprised to see how much it challenged my entire body. It makes me feel so nibble and strong. Although some of the movements may look simple, trust me when I tell you it is KILLER. I feel sore in the best way possible after I do it. Because of the yoga aspect, you really build that mind/body connection and get more in touch with yourself.
Related: Ways To Check In With Your Body Throughout The Day
Benefits of Barre
As I mentioned, barre builds strength. After consistently performing these exercises you will find that you feel more strong and flexible. Barre also build endurance, improves posture, and may support weight management. Barre exercises should not be performed everyday, as your muscles need time to recover. On days that I do not do barre, I like to either walk or do dance cardio. This gets my blood flowing and my heart rate up without creating tension in my muscles.
What To Wear
When completing a barre class, you want to make sure that you are wearing the proper clothing. Wearing form fitting clothing is preferred because it allows for you to do the movements without any fabric getting in the way. Also, when you do a barre class in a studio, form fitting clothing helps the instructor to monitor your movement and form. You will also want grippy socks so you do not slip while performing the exercises.
While I would not call barre easy, it is adaptable to various skill sets. Because barre can be a more difficult workout, I know some people would feel more comfortable trying the exercise out at home before doing it in a class that may be hard to keep up with. Here are my two favorite barre exercises on Youtube, both instructed by trainer Marnie Alton.
30-Minute No-Equipment Sculpting Workout
This exercise will get you sweating fast! I used to feel like I had to workout for over an hour in order to get a decent workout. This exercise video shows me how effective 30 minutes of exercise can be. Throughout the 30 minutes, you will stretch, sweat, and work on your balance. This is a great to follow in the morning before work, because it is not very long and it will wake you up and give you energy.
45-Minute No-Equipment Barre Workout That Fuses Cardio + Toning
I find this exercise to be a little more intense than the first one. This workout consists of a lot of toning. My butt and abs were on fire by the time that I was done with this! I recommend this video for those of you who are already familiar with strength training exercises and who want to take it to the next level.
If you are thinking about trying barre and you want a bit of a push, here it is! I recommend this exercise to everyone and I trust that you will feel amazing when you are done.
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