Be honest: the first time you heard the word “barre”, you pictured a darkened room where cocktails are served. While we can’t guarantee decent lighting, we can confirm that barre is a great way to keep fit. By making use of a ballet barre from which it earns its name, barre incorporates movements from yoga, Pilates, and yes, ballet. If you’re new to the exercise form, here are some things to know.
Way Back When
Although it may seem relatively new, Barre has been around for more than half a century. After injuring her back, ballerina Lotte Berk had the idea of combining her ballet barre routines with her rehabilitative therapy. And thus, barre was born! The year was 1959.
Self Support
Barre has a list of benefits about as long as a barre itself! The practice can improve strength, posture, flexibility, balance, stability, endurance, and muscle definition. By targeting muscles that are not typically stimulated through other exercises, barre can enhance the body’s ability to support itself.
Go Easy
It’s natural to want to dive straight in when you are interested in something, but it’s important to ease into your first few classes to allow your body to adapt. Be patient with yourself and modify movements if you need. You can also follow some YouTube tutorials to practice the positions before committing to a class.
