"As a personal trainer, I love using barre workouts to help my clients sculpt strong minds and bodies without the pressure of a gym. " - Luan Blancher, founder of Sculpt & Glo Fitness
Barre is a great low-impact workout for women of all walks of life, from marathon runners to those who are picking up a physical activity for the first time. It's one of the best ways to work on your fitness (and have fun!) But can barre workouts help you lose weight?
Without further ado, let’s dive into what you need to know about barre, weight loss, and the benefits of barre workouts.
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What is barre class?
Barre is a type of high-intensity, low-impact workout that combines elements of cardio and strength training. Imagine a fusion of ballet-inspired movements, pilates, and stretching, and you get barre. Barre class also often involves light weights, stability balls, resistance bands, and a workout mat.
The best thing about barre class, apart from the fact that it can help improve flexibility and increase muscle endurance, is that it is for people of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels.
Are barre workouts good for weight loss?
Just like any other type of exercise, barre is only one element of fitness. Along with other healthy habits like sleeping well, taking regular walks, and eating a varied diet, barre can contribute to weight loss.
You can think of barre as a benefit-packed piece to your overall fitness puzzle. It’s not a quick “fix” that will help you shed pounds on its own.
Is barre the same as ballet?
If you’re lost in the sea of fitness terms, I’m here to set the record straight about the key differences between barre and ballet.
While ballet movements inspire many barre exercises, they are not the same. Ballet is dance, and barre is a workout. You don’t need any dance experience or to own a pink tutu to participate in barre. You also don’t need to be coordinated, although that’s a skill you’ll naturally improve over time.
Barre cherry-picks some of the best parts from ballet, pilates, and yoga and fuses them together to create a one-of-a-kind workout that helps you build muscle and stamina, among several other things.
Who are barre workouts for?
The biggest myth surrounding barre is that it is only for graceful ballerinas and gym-fluencers with “perfect” bodies. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Barre is for everyone and every body.
Despite what you might see on social media, barre is accessible to people of all fitness levels, even if you have previous injuries. If you’re afraid to start because of previous negative experiences or the fear that you don’t have the “right” body type, know that you are not alone but shouldn’t write barre off just yet.
Sometimes all it takes is finding an instructor who makes you feel safe and empowers you to be the most confident version of yourself as you work toward your fitness goals. The right instructor might also show a little tough love when you need it.
Benefits of barre workouts for women
The beautiful thing about exercise is its endless gifts for the mind, body, and spirit. Barre is no exception. You may go into barre classes to tone up and get fit, but you’ll also benefit from countless other kickbacks.
Here are just a few ways you can benefit from barre workouts:
More flexibility
Barre workouts focus heavily on mobility and can naturally help improve your overall flexibility. Many of the exercises you’ll learn in barre are inspired by ballet movements, but you’ll also spend time stretching those very muscles you put to the test.
While stretchiness may not be your top priority, keeping our bodies warm and mobile can often help us prevent future injuries. The more flexible you are, the less risk you have of throwing out your back, pulling muscles, and causing further damage to existing injuries.
Increased strength
Who said you need a gym membership to get stronger?
Barre incorporates elements of resistance training to help you burn calories and build strength. You gradually build up your muscle mass and endurance through isometric movements, which involve holding still while contracting specific muscles in your lower body, upper body, and core.
Many fitness barre classes use light weights to up the intensity. Over time, this can make a big difference in your fitness and help you increase your strength.
Better balance and posture
Barre workouts are excellent for helping us find our center of gravity and improving our posture. The nature of barre exercises forces us to make gentle adjustments that ultimately stay with us past the class.
Because balance requires us to work our cores, barre can be a safe, low-impact workout option for women with pelvic floor concerns.
Less stress, more focus
Barre exercises take a lot of concentration and discipline. It requires you to connect your mind to your muscles to carry out movements, hold positions, and keep pushing when the going gets tough.
All this helps us be more resilient humans who can let go of the outside world and focus on the here and now. After a good sweat, we get to ride the sweet, endorphin high for the rest of our day.
Start your barre journey today.
Hey, I’m Luan from Sculpt & Glo Fitness. I teach barre workouts to everyday women just like you. Through group fitness classes and personal training, I help busy women and moms gain confidence and find their glo wherever they are on their fitness journeys.
I believe fitness is not a chore, it’s a choice! If you’re ready to take the leap, I’d love to help you realize your fitness goals.
Sign up for my newsletter for updates and promos, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook
If you have more questions about starting your fitness journey, schedule a free consultation call.
Email: luan@sculptandglo.com
Phone: 417-619-0391
