What is Barre?
Inspired by the classic and graceful ballet practice, a barre class requires muscular strength and balance, incorporating demanding cardio workout moves to help you create a lean physique.
Barre is a form of physical activity that uses a ballet barre that you would typically find in a ballet studio, and it’s this barre that you use to perform isometric movements, such as plies and static stretches to improve muscular endurance, as well as arm exercises, strength training and upper body moves.
Each barre class is designed to be a full-body, muscle endurance workout. Typically, they're broken into different sections that focus on major muscle groups including the arms, legs, glutes, and core.
Barre class is suitable for all age groups and fitness levels – from the injured to the pregnant. It can even help strengthen muscles that have become weak from a trauma or some time off.
Why is it called Barre?
The barre method was created by the dancer Lottie Berk in 1959. It combines a ballet workout with Pilates and yoga moves using a ballet barre. Barre fitness does take inspiration from Pilates, however, to do a barre workout, you simply need your own body weight, a ballet barre (or sturdy counter top or chair) and occasionally a yoga mat for floor work. Pilates uses everything from reformer equipment to light hand weights. A ballet barre fitness workout does take ideas from yoga too, but unlike yoga, barre also incorporates aerobic exercises for additional cardiovascular and weight loss benefits.
Benefits Of Barre Workouts
1. Increased flexibility. Beyond the specific ballet-inspired moves, you’ll also get a fair amount of stretching in most Barre workouts to stretch out the muscles you’ll be exhausting.
2. Increased muscle strength. Any form of resistance training—calisthenics, weight lifting, and barre—will increase muscle mass.
3. Improved endurance. You hold positions for a long time and exhaust reps, but with minimal weight.
4. Gentle on joints. Barre classes are low-impact, which can reduce the risk of injury and help if you are already injured. Barre is low-impact because there is no jumping whatsoever in a traditional barre workout.
5. Better posture. So many of the moves in a barre class also target your abs and core. So not only can you work toward a stronger, more defined core, you’ll also be gaining solid strength to improve your posture, balance, and overall agility.
6. Great for cross training. Even if your primary focus is on getting ready for a race, barre class can be a great form of cross training to maintain strength and well-rounded fitness.
Citations:
“The Benefits Of Barre Workouts”
by Health and Wellbeing: 16TH AUGUST 2022
https://www.healthwellbeing.com/raise-the-barre/
“What Is Barre Class All About—And Is It Actually An Effective Workout?”
by BY KRISTINE THOMASONPUBLISHED: JUN 8, 2022
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a26346087/what-is-barre
