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Spring is now upon us, which means it’s time for skorts, sundresses and swimwear. Move over boring exercises, get in on the Barre craze. With this form of workout your abs and body will seriously burn besides getting sculpted legs like woah!

How do you make sure the body is spring ready and strong with this effective, low impact and fun workout?

Barre workouts have been hot for a while now and is inspired by the toning and firming moves that the ballerinas and dancers to get you sweating! It’s no surprise that Barre was developed by a ballerina so you can expect natural youthfulness, power, grace, enhanced mobility, lifted derriere and fab posture!

Hit The Barre: Barre promises to sculpt a ballerina’s body. Most Barre workouts need an actual bar, you may do the moves with your bodyweight and a yoga mat.  And all you need is your focus on form, stability and balance! Anyone no matter their age, weight or fitness level can give it a shot.

If you sign up at a Barre class or hire a tutor you will start with mat based warm up complete with planks and push-ups, a sequence of arm exercises and remain at the bar with a body to work your thighs, abs, hamstrings, upper back, calves, glutes eventually finishing with core focused moves on the mat at the bar. With accessories like light hand weights, resistance bands, soft exercise ball there is never a dull moment while fine tuning the body.

Dare To Barre: Dinesh Rathod, Artistic Director Ballet Feet gives us an in-depth knowledge and significance of Barre workouts, ‘People have always wished to have a beautiful, toned, fit and a strong body. The approach to this goal has been changed over the course of time with the knowledge acquired. Ballet, as a dance has been very graceful and energetic, but only practiced by dancers.

On the other hand the entire workout style is reinvented and changed to make it lively and fitness centric. This has led to the workout style where two or more elements have been incorporated. Barre (Bar) is equipment used in Ballet (standing or fixed to the wall) for their primary warm up and basic exercise.

They provide support to the dancers to align their arms and posture while maintaining their balance (on toes, one or both legs).  This routine of Ballet dancers has given them strong core and spine and toned body which all envy for. Recently its importance in the world of different genres of workout has been increased.

Barre Workout has different elements included from Ballet, Yoga, Pilates & other styles and can be varied depending on the instructor choice. Barre is done using the basic element of ballet like Plie, releve and stretches(one leg on the barre) using the barre.

Barre workout was been started in 1950 by a German dancer Lotte Berk living in England due to rise of Nazism.

She stared Barre Workout as part of her rehabilitative therapy for her spine using elements of Ballet Barre. As any new workout, her idea was not accepted at the beginning, but slowly it spread due its benefits and results. Lydia Bach, Berk’s American student, brought back the workout to the states in 1971 which gained the popularity among the people.

Different studios started teaching under different name after putting some fitness element of their own.  Ballet Workout has got its popularity very lately in last few years. They find it more fun and innovative as they don’t work out in the traditional way using weights or doing cardio.

But some studios do use light dumbbell, resistance band to make it more effective for the required muscle group.

The fit person might feel tired after the workout as it focuses on muscle groups which were never stretched before.  The workout can be more fun after addition of the music element to it. Recently, people have started to workout at home, offices with the support of chairs, tables and wall as a replacement of Barre. It’s gaining importance as the best workout for core of the body.’

Benefits: The major benefits include increased stamina,  maximum core workout, increased flexibility, strengthens muscles, works on group muscles, improved posture, Low-intensity (prevents from injury), body coordination, it’s Musical fun!

The part reason for the popularity is the results attained from the workout. Its main target is to work on those isolated muscle groups and core of the body. This workout can be done by any age group and achieve results from it. It helps one to find balance, improve strength and flexibility as the workout elongates your muscle.

People with no experience in dance and fitness can still try this amazing experience.

Barre Workout has found its importance in different genres of life. It’s been incorporated by bodybuilders, models, celebrities and also in military training as its benefits are diverse. Old People who do it for recreational purpose, athletes for balance.’

DO’s while Barre-

  1. Wear stretchable clothes
  2. Remove foot wear
  3. Mention about your health problems to instructor prior doing class
  4. Drink water appropriately

DON’Ts while Barre-

  1. Don’t try this at home in stuffed room.
  2. Don’t hurry in doing the exercise as it can cause injury.
  3. Don’t over stretch if feel pain body

Stay happy, stay healthy!

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