Exploring The Benefits of Barre Workouts

Barre has made a move to yoga and Pilates studios, and you don’t need to be into ballet to try it out — the barre class is for everyone.

With more than 2 million posts, the #barre on Instagram is packed with people from all backgrounds — from pros to novices; it embraces all levels. A regular barre class is a low-impact 45 to a 60-minute routine that combines ballet movements, Pilates, and yoga asanas.

The actual bar — or any other waist-high object is used to give stability during the activity. Expect to tone your core, build alignment and muscle strength while breaking a sweat in a high-energizing barre class. Here are the benefits:

Strengthen Your Core

The core is an integral and important part of a barre class. Because the classes use the core to hold the body in a correct alignment, you can have your six-pack in check if you work correctly. This can be especially helpful for postpartum mothers looking to bounce back.

Increase Flexibility

The combination of yoga asanas, ballet movements, and Pilates involves a lot of stretching, which helps to improve flexibility. Within just a few weeks of practice, you can expect to increase the range of motions in your joints and open up some parts of the body you couldn’t before.

Good Posture

Barre classes can significantly improve posture, especially for those who spend long hours working in front of a computer. This happens because barre works to strengthen the muscles through the chest and shoulders. You might find yourself sitting or standing straighter after taking a barre class.

Muscular Endurance And Overall Strength

It May Reduce Stress Levels

Barre class sits in between the stillness and calm that yoga brings to the mind and the energy and movement that a cardio or HIIT offers. Barre is a mental challenge and it requires some level of presence and mindfulness to focus on the movements. You’ll certainly leave the class cool and calm.