Barre Classes + Why I Love It
(specifically barre3) So what is barre3, and why is it good for you?
Barre3 is a full-body balanced workout combining strength conditioning, cardio, and mindfulness. The mission—and the driving factor behind every move they do in class—is to teach people to be balanced in body and empowered from within.
For the past three years, I have been incredibly into health and wellness and bettering myself on a daily basis. I absolutely love challenging myself and trying new things. Last year, I took a lot of hot yoga classes. Those really opened my eyes to see how motivating it is to be in a class setting, with other empowering women who have unique goals. But what I love is that we are all there for one common reason- to better ourselves in some way, whether that’s emotionally, physically, spiritually, or mentally.
I am now completely addicted to barre3 classes, and absolutely loving how my body feels after each one. I started doing barre in April but consistently going to classes in the month of May. I wanted to make a list of encouragement for anyone interested in taking workout classes for the first time, but maybe something is holding you back.
Nobody’s looking at you.
It may feel nerve racking going into a room full of other people to workout. But I promise you, people are not staring at you. They’re likely either looking at the teacher, or in the mirror at themselves.
Nobody’s perfect.
This may seem obvious, but when I first started taking classes it felt like everyone knew what they were doing except for me. Everyone knew where to put their stuff, knew where all the equipment was and what they needed, knew the teachers, etc. It can definitely feel awkward at first. But it's always those first few times that are awkward, and then after that you start to get the hang of things. Remember that everyone was new at some point, and to not let the fear of being embarrassed hold you back.
Modify, modify, modify.
At every workout studio I’ve been to, there is an option to modify. (adjusting variables and decreasing complexity to work with your body. It's essentially an exercise variation that fits better for your body and fitness level). It is more than okay to do this! Don’t push yourself too hard. It is incredibly important to listen to what your body is telling you to avoid injury/ overexertion.
Some other observations I made when taking classes was that after the first few days, my body was incredibly sore. This wasn’t super shocking, as we do lots of squats and arm workouts. But I could tell that the workout was hitting parts of my body and muscles I’d never really worked out before. Warm baths were much needed.
After the first week I started feeling really good. I still had to modify many things, and used 3 pound weights, but this worked well for me. The soreness at this point had pretty much gone away.
At week two, I really started to notice how much my body needed this kind of exercise. I was unable to hold my own body weight, super shaky, towards the end of class, and exhausted afterwards. But I knew that I had to keep pushing and continue going to classes!
Week three was a turning point for me- I was able to hold my own weight much better and actually perform the push ups. I still like to modify by using the barre, but I can tell overall I have gained strength! I also felt much more toned and was actually sleeping better at night.
Week four was exciting for me. I took a difficult instructor’s class and crushed it. Dripping in sweat feels so rewarding. I feel so much stronger, more flexible, and confident. I have no problem going to the front of the room, and can keep up much better than before. I feel incredibly proud with how far I've come. It’s such a great reminder that working out can be so much fun! I will definitely not be stopping barre anytime soon.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
