The 7 Wonders of Barre

You might be a total Barre addict and want to know more about what it is that keeps you coming back for more or you might be a complete Barre newbie and here to see if it might be something for you. This blog post will take you through 7 amazing benefits of Barre fitness - I’ve tried to keep it brief but there’s just so much goodness I wanted to share so grab a cuppa and get stuck in.

We’ll get you feeling stronger and lasting longer

Barre is a sneaky one. Looking from the outside in you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s not too tough but if you make it through to the end of a sequence you’ll feel nothing short of a superhero. Barre uses light weights and lots (and lots and lots) of repetitions to work your muscles to the point of fatigue. Your muscles grow as a result of the recovery and repair process and that’s when you get stronger. Your ability to stay in the sequence, withstanding endless pulses is amazing for improving your muscular endurance. If you’re a runner/swimmer/cyclist you’ll really notice how well Barre workouts supplement these kinds of activities and help improve your stamina/endurance.

Prepare to become your bendiest self

Something you’ll notice is how quickly your flexibility improves once you start taking Barre classes. We do a lot of stretching work in our more flexibility-focused sessions like Barre & Stretch but you’ll also find a lot of the warm-up movements we perform include dynamic stretching which is great for taking joints through their full range of movement. You’ll start to become more aware of which muscle groups are feeling tighter (and therefore potentially overactive) and need some more dedicated stretching time. There’s potential that a muscle group that feels tight may actually need more strengthening than stretching so that's just something to be aware of. It's worth seeing a physio if you’re particularly concerned about something.

Wobbling your way to better coordination and balance

There’s not a single class that goes by that I’m not wobbling all over the place in at least one of the sequences we’re working through and I’m all about embracing that. We spend a lot of time standing on one leg, sometimes with a yoga block underneath our foot or up on the balls of our feet with a Pilates ball squished under our heels. This might all sound very strange but these exercises are absolutely amazing for improving your stability and balance. Not only are you standing in these particularly challenging positions but you’re then performing movements like pliés, squats or lunges as well as side raises, front raises, overhead presses, etc. Incorporating upper bodywork with lower bodywork is not only a great distraction from your shaking legs but is also amazing for improving your coordination.

We’ll have you standing taller with better posture

We talk about posture and alignment throughout all our sessions as this is the most important thing to keep you working out safely and seeing the benefits from all the hard work you’re putting in. Our main focus is on the position of your head, your shoulders, your spine and your pelvis. You’ll feel yourself standing taller while feeling more relaxed across your neck and upper back and you’ll notice you can breathe more deeply and easier which is so beneficial for starting to work on great core engagement. With a powerhouse for a core, you’ll find you feel so much stronger and more confident with your workouts too.

Stronger mind-body connection and self-awareness

With such a key focus on technique, Barre workouts are an education on movement, form and alignment which gives you such great body awareness and helps you to tap into your mind-body connection. Barre naturally harnesses mindful movements and meditation-type elements (like focusing on deep breathing) bringing your focus away from everyday life and keeping you mentally in the ‘room'. Find out more about how Barre improves your mind-body connection here.

Low impact workouts which are kind on joints but tough on muscles

You don’t have to put yourself through a high impact HIIT session to get the results you’re looking for. You can get just as fit and strong by keeping all your workouts low impact (and being really kind to your joints along the way - they’ll 100% thank you later). Low impact movements generally avoid any jumping so we’re putting much less impact on our joints which makes these workouts really sustainable. I’m aiming to be Barre-ing into my 80s!

There’s something for everyone

One of the things I love most about Barre is how modifiable it is. We can adapt almost all of the exercises to make them feel more achievable or progress them to make them feel more challenging. Barre has its foundations in the worlds of ballet and injury rehabilitation with physiotherapy so we can modify movements around specific injuries to help get you on the road to rehabilitation as well.

If you are new to Barre and want to get involved, sign up today to become a member and enjoy a free 7 day trial period with a complimentary 1:1 private session. As part of your monthly membership, you will not only gain access to live classes, but a whole library of Barre workouts to do in your own time. You will also become part of the tribe and be invited to participate in regular challenges and Barre retreats.

Sign up now to get started or contact at gen@thebarrecoach.com for more information.