Are you ready to take your fitness routine to new levels? If so, we invite you to test your muscles, increase your flexibility, and build your strength at our weekly barre classes. Adventure Fitness Athletic Club members are welcome to join us at our gym in Thornton while we have fun getting fit:
Barrilates – taught by Jamie McGehee – Wednesdays – from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Exercising with the barre often reminds people of their childhood ballet classes, but once you try barre for yourself, you’ll discover that it’s one of the best workouts ever. The high-intensity, low-impact movements are inspired by elements of ballet, yoga, and Pilates, and will make you feel like you’ve challenged every muscle in your arms, legs, glutes, and core. You’ll also get your heart rate up, making barre class a nice combination of strength training and cardio in one session. And you’ll be sore the next day, which is always a good sign that you’re making progress in your fitness goals!
What is barre?
Barre is a form of exercise that uses a ballet-style barre to help you balance while you perform a series of isometric movements. Barre classes also incorporate some floor work with hand weights, ankle weights, exercise balls, and resistance bands. The low-impact, high-intensity moves at barre class are designed to strengthen and tone muscles.
While somewhat inspired by ballet, barre exercise is not just for dancers — it’s also for anyone who wants an effective workout! You don’t have to be a good dancer to participate in barre, so even if you’re no Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers, don’t let that stop you from trying this unique combination of cardio, stretching, and strength training.
What happens at barre class?
Barre is a hybrid exercise method, combining moves used in ballet, Pilates, yoga, strength training, and dance. Movement in barre class is specific and precise, so your mind will be engaged as much as your body as you strive to perform each exercise correctly.
Isometric exercises
One key difference between barre and other workouts is that barre focuses on isometric movements. This means you’ll hold your body still while contracting specific muscles until they shake (a sign of muscle fatigue) and burn. But don’t feel self-conscious! Shaking is actually a great sign that you’re following the instructor’s guidance, reaching the right intensity level, and giving lesser-used muscles some focused, intense exercise. Never fear, if you’re doing the class right, your muscles will burn and shake.
What a class might involve
In addition to isometric exercises, there’s a chance you’ll also perform classic dance moves, stretches, and high repetitions of small-range movements designed to fatigue each muscle group. Examples of this could be pulsing in a squat position or moving through a sequence of planks.
Classes often look something like this:
- A warm up of free weights, push-ups, and planks to target the biceps, triceps, chest, and back muscles
- Barre exercises targeting the legs and glutes
- Mat exercises targeting the core
- Stretches to increase flexibility
- Yoga moves to cool down
There’s a lot to learn
If you’re new to barre classes, give yourself some time to get used to the vocabulary your instructor uses. Barre has a learning curve just like anything else! Listen, stay engaged, and focus on what your instructor tells you to do. You’ll be a barre pro in no time.
Watch your form
As you participate in barre class, your form will be extremely important. Don’t be surprised if your instructor asks you to make slight adjustments as you go through the exercises. Even a small change in your form can mean a big difference in the level of intensity you’ll get from the workout.
What should you wear to barre class?
Barre class attire should allow you to move freely and feel comfortable. Here are some suggestions on fashion choices that will give you the best barre experience:
- Grippy socks — Since athletic shoes can get in the way of your barre exercises, wear a pair of grippy socks so that you can avoid slipping but still have freedom of movement.
- Snug workout clothes — If your clothes are too loose, they might restrict your movement and prevent your instructor from confirming that your form is correct. Yoga pants, leggings, or capris paired with a fitted tank top or t-shirt would be your best bet.
- Tied-back hair — As with most exercises, barre is best performed with hair that’s pulled away from your face and neck. If you have longer hair, wear a headband or hair tie.
Benefits of barre class
Barre workouts come with a long list of benefits for your body, mind, and mood. Here are a dozen reasons to add barre to your busy schedule:
- It’s great for all fitness levels, from beginners to pros.
- It offers you all the body benefits of a ballet dancer, but you won’t need the skills required to perform in The Nutcracker.
- It will tone your calves, hamstrings, and glutes to create that long, lean dancer look.
- Working your glutes gives you a great rear view and also stabilizes your pelvis, which relieves pressure on your back, knees, and hips.
- It tones your stomach muscles and helps tighten your tummy.
- It increases your flexibility thanks to all the stretching involved.
- It reduces stress by merging the quietness of yoga, the mental focus of holding each movement properly, and the physical release of cardio.
- It improves posture by strengthening the muscles in the shoulders and chest, which prevents you from slouching.
- You’ll have a teacher to demonstrate each movement and coach you on your form so that you get the most from each exercise.
- It’s a fun workout and you’ll have classmates to commiserate with as you “feel the burn” together.
- Results are fairly quick. You should notice greater leg and abdominal strength and a lifted bum in as fast as four weeks.
- You’ll feel slimmer, even if you don’t shed a lot of weight. That said, barre workouts can build your muscle mass which will help you burn more calories even while you’re at rest.
We Hope You’ll Join Us for Barrilates!
If you’re interested in attending our Barrilates class every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, please contact us or stop by Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. Also feel free to call Susan at 720-849-0245 or email her at susan@adventurefitness.club. Club members can register for Barrilates on MINDBODY and non-members can join for a $10 per-class fee.
To read more articles from Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, check out our Adventure Corner blogs by clicking here.
