New Fitness Trend: The Barre Class

By Rachel Burt

The Barre Class, an elegance of ballet mixed with the core strengthening of pilates, draws from yoga and dance with a focus on breathing and a mind-body connection. It is a whole new era of a fitness regime that seems to be setting a trend for the obvious reasons.

Where Did the Barre Technique Start?

The Barre technique was founded by Lotte Berk, a Russian dancer who developed a protocol for her own rehab after a serious spinal injury in the 1940s.

What to Expect in a Barre Ballet Class

The Barre ballet class is a method of using the ballet bar and the mat with a series of strenuous exercises like push ups and balancing standing poses, which are held for a long period of time. The poses target all muscles of the body. Most classes are organized in way similar to interval training, i.e., consisting of intense physcial activity and periods of deep stretching. With this  combination of strengthening, stretching and mental focus, you are creating a longer and leaner physique and still breaking that sweat as well as adding a holistic approach to your daily life. The bar method is said to work fast, many practitioners can expect to see results within 6 to 8 weeks if practicing 3-5 times a week. Results can be noticed the most with sculpted arms, flat abs, lifted butt, and elongated thighs and torso.

Benefits of Barre Ballet

It targets areas ladies have the most  trouble with: butt, upper arms, inner thighs, and belly. It accommodates all ages and sizes, from bodybuilders to very lean or curvy and from teenagers to women in their 60s.

Pink Nike Trainers for Barre Class 

You are using mental focus; therefore, you are also helping with memory and brain functions, and becoming more aware and sensitive to your body and emotions.

Cons of Barre Ballet

(1) It is a bit expensive, averaging from $15-20 a class.

(2) You need a Ballet Bar.

(3) It is more of a feminine workout; sometimes women only classes, restricting men to try.

(4) It is fairly new, so it may be hard to find classes worldwide.

(5) If you do find a studio near you, classes fill up fast because of its rarity, so you have to sign-up or make sure to arrive early.

Who is Doing It?

Many celebrities  are known to taking barre classes because of the remarkable fast results.

Personally, I am a strong supporter of this type of exercise. By using aerobics mixed with strengthening and stretching, you are burning calories while elongating your muscles, making you look and feel "leaner." Also, you are using balance and your own body weight, which is the key factor to becoming leaner. 

Using your own body weight, combined with stretching out your muscles,  is what is lacking in other types of workouts such as cross-fit, marathons and boot camps. By lifting heavy weights and over-exercising, this causes our bodies to become at times bulky and over-muscular. If needing to take a break from working-out for some time, the workout break can lead to a flabbier physique. It is also very important to remember that how we think will lead to how we act and feel. By adding a holistic approach to your workouts, you are helping to recharge your brain to think positively, which will reflect in all areas of your life.

I have tried both the barre class and "danyasa," which is a combination of dancing and yoga. I really loved both of them because both classes gave me a sense of power: owning my femininity and freeing myself on the matt to engage in whatever my body and the class had in store for me that day.

Until next time...try the new fitness trend: Barre. Let us known your thoughts in the comment section below or email me at rachelb@clubfashionista.com.