So, you want flat abs, toned thighs, a sculpted backside, and a higher metabolism? Don’t we all? And the good news is that this is not a pipedream, ladies! That’s because the benefits of a barre workout include burning fat, building lean muscle, strengthening the core, improving flexibility, and so much more.
In recent years, barre classes have earned their spot on the list of top trending fitness routines. Still, you may hesitate to give it a try because you’re not exactly sure what the routines involve or if there are barre workout benefits that meet all the hype.
Well, we’ve got the answers to those questions! Here, the real skinny on barre workout routines.
What Exactly Is a Barre Workout?
Lotte Burke, founder of the barre workout method, was a dancer who injured her back. She then integrated movements from her rehabilitative therapy into her dance conditioning routine and, voila, created the barre workout.
The barre method is a low-impact workout that uses isometric holds and tiny movements to burn fat, build lean muscle, improve posture, and ultimately develop a dancer-like physique. The workout incorporates the same movements and techniques used in ballet and Pilates. When taking classes in a studio, you will typically use a ballet barre. But you can simply substitute the back of a chair or a wall for the ballet barre when doing the classes at home. In some classes, you may also use resistance bands, balance balls, and a light set of weights.
Standard barre classes include:
- Warmup exercises that include planks and push-ups.
- An arm routine that involves an exhaustive number of small, repetitive movements.
- A section that targets thighs.
- A section that targets glutes.
- More core
- Stretching.
How Do Barre Workouts Vary from Regular Strength Training?
Strength training routines usually include expansive, compound movements, such as squats and lunges. In these exercises, the muscle contracts and lengthens. But barre uses smaller, repetitive moves called isometric contractions in which the muscle tenses without lengthening. In addition, regular strength training incorporates the use of heavier weights, whereas barre classes involve the use of two-to-three-pound hand weights and resistance bands.
You can do more reps with isometric contractions and work your muscles into a state of fatigue. And if you’re new to barre, you’ll find that your fatigued muscles will shake during the routines. That simply means that those muscles are changing in a good way. Furthermore, these isometric movements target the muscles that increase your endurance. Larger movements, on the other hand, help you build speed.
What are the Benefits of Barre Workouts?
Where to begin! There are so many benefits to barre workouts. And to name a few, barre workouts can help:
- Rehabilitate and soothe strained back muscles. Remember, Lotte Burke incorporated movements into the barre method that she did in the rehabilitative therapy designed to heal her back.
- Build better posture. The core strengthening components of barre workouts also work to lengthen and improve posture.
- Develop sculpted muscle and increase strength. Barre routines fatigue the muscles, encouraging them to then build back up in a lean and sculpted way.
- Burn fat. Your body will use energy by burning carbs and depleting fat stores to rebuild the muscle that you’ve worked to fatigue.
- Enhance flexibility.
- Improve balance.
- Support fat loss. As mentioned earlier, barre workouts help build muscle. Increased amounts of muscle help your body burn energy and shed pounds. And barre exercises can help you burn up to 500 calories per session.
Some of these benefits then combine to help improve your ability to complete functional movements commonly used in daily living, such as lifting objects, standing up, and sitting down. The benefit of having improved functional movement then yields yet another advantage, which is being less prone to injury. So, barre workouts can actually improve your quality of life.
As well, barre workouts help you establish a mind-body connection because the isometric movements help you tune into your body. And some research suggests that a strong mind-body connection can even help reduce chronic pain.
So, Is a Barre Workout Right for You?
To sum it up, barre workouts offer a slew of benefits and are perfect if you’re looking for a low-impact workout that yields amazing, fat-burning and body-sculpting results. Furthermore, barre workouts minimize your risk of injury and can even help you heal from past injuries. And you can do a barre workout either in studio or at home with online classes. So, is a barre workout right for you? Well, why not give it a try and find out?
Anne deLeeuw is a freelance writer who specializes in crafting content about health, wellness, and all things associated with a life well-lived. She also believes in that old saying, “practice what you preach,” and recently earned an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Moving forward, Anne plans to grow her career in the wellness industry by helping women adopt all the healthy habits she’s been describing through her writing.