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Top 5 benefits of Barre classes

Top 5 Benefits of Barre Classes

Barre is a unique form of full-body exercise that combines positions and moves borrowed from ballet with small, repetitive muscle movements. Barre classes have increased in popularity over the years as fitness lovers are discovering its fun, distinctive format and numerous benefits.

Some of the many benefits of barre classes include:

Benefit #1: Overall Muscle Toning and Strengthening
Barre classes offer a full body workout, toning your core, glutes, arms, and thighs/legs. Due to its use of small, isometric movements, barre often targets the deeper muscles in the body that are missed in other high-intensity workouts—and instructors may incorporate light weights, resistance bands, and/or stability balls to work your muscles even harder.

Benefit #2: Increased Flexibility and Mobility
Barre classes focus on both strength and flexibility, often incorporating several stretching and lengthening exercises throughout. This increased mobility and range of motion are helpful not only for future workouts, but for everyday life. Don’t worry, no flexibility is required to begin taking barre classes, but you’ll be impressed with how much your flexibility improves after just a few weeks!

Benefit #3: Better Posture and Balance
Because barre classes are both strengthening and lengthening for your muscles, you may notice improved posture and balance over time. Barre focuses heavily on maintaining proper alignment and strengthens your chest and shoulders, which helps prevent slouching. Good posture has benefits beyond what you may realize: it can help with deeper breathing as well as prevent back pain and injury.

Benefit #4: Reduced Stress and Increased Clarity
Like all forms of exercise, barre is great for reducing stress and increasing mental clarity. More than some higher-intensity workouts, though, barre requires a deep intentional focus and mindfulness to maintain a mind-body connection. Exercise also leads to increased production of the endorphins that keep our minds sharp and clear.

Benefit #5: Faster Recovery and Lower Impact than Other Workouts
Barre is an excellent form of low-impact exercise that can be easily modified, making it safe and accessible for people of all life stages (including pregnancy) and skill levels. Barre’s gentleness on the joints also leads to faster recovery times, meaning fewer rest days needed between classes and a decreased chance of injury during and after the workout.
The benefits of barre are almost endless for beginners and pros alike—so what are you waiting for?

Jump in and schedule your next barre class today.

barre vs strength training: which is best for your workout?

Barre vs. Strength Training: What is Best for Your Workout? 

The vast array of fitness classes and workout options available today can be both exciting and, let’s face it, overwhelming. With so many styles to choose from, it can be difficult to know what workouts best suit our lifestyle and will benefit us most in the long run. 

In this blog, we’ll unpack the basics of two popular workouts, barre and strength training, discuss the unique benefits of each workout, and explain what workout is best for your fitness goals.

Understanding Barre vs. Strength Training 

Barre is a form of full-body exercise that combines movements and positions borrowed from ballet with low-impact, repetitive strength exercises, designed to isolate and strengthen muscles. Barre classes often rotate through sections focusing on arms, core/abs, and lower body, repeating small, isometric movements targeting one muscle area until all muscles are fatigued. While barre can be done without equipment, classes typically incorporate a ballet barre and light weights, resistance bands, sliders, and/or exercise balls.

In our years of experience, barre at home can be just as effective if you have a portable barre system and the right guide. We encourage our home fitness folks to try the Booty Kicker for home barre success. It’s compact enough to slip into the closet, is sturdy (that’s a big one) and has slats at the bottom for free weights. 

Strength training (also known as resistance training) is a form of exercise focused on gaining muscle mass, building strength, and increasing endurance. Strength training encompasses a wide variety of exercises, using body weight or equipment, with a focus on building muscle mass in all major muscle groups. Bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, push-ups, and planks are examples of strength training, as are movements that incorporate weights and resistance machines. 

For at home or in studio strength training, we prefer SPRI dumbbells lined in vinyl. If the weights are not protected, they will start to peel and shed rather quickly. You can purchase a range of sizes (recommended) to gain gradually and safely. If you’re new to strength training, start with a low weight of 2 or 3 pounds. After curling a few reps, those light weights will feel much heavier. Continue to progress to heavier weights until you meet your new “edge” and comfortability.

The Benefits of Barre 

Barre offers a full body workout, toning your core, glutes, arms, and thighs/legs. Due to its use of small, isometric movements, barre often targets the deeper muscles in the body that are missed in other workouts. And, because barre is low-impact and easy on joints and muscles, there is a decreased chance of injury and recovery is often faster than higher-intensity workouts. 

Barre classes focus on both strength and flexibility, often incorporating stretching and lengthening exercises throughout. These exercises contribute to increased mobility and range of motion that are beneficial in everyday life and lead to better posture and balance, as well. 

The mind-body connection and focus required for barre classes help reduce stress and increase mental clarity—not to mention the feel-good endorphins that come after. 

The Benefits of Strength Training 

The most obvious benefit of strength training is an overall increase in muscle mass and a toned physique. However, strength training also helps build bone density, joint flexibility, and balance—all of which lead to a higher quality of life and a lower risk of injury overall. 

Strength training may also be an ideal form of exercise for those pursuing fat loss, as increased muscle mass leads to a higher resting metabolic rate. This means that your body consistently burns more calories when at rest, rather than just during your workout. 

Alongside its physical benefits, consistent strength training also contributes to overall health and longevity, better sleep, and mental clarity. 

Barre vs. Strength Training: What is Best for Your Workout? 

The simple answer is that both exercises can be extremely beneficial for your overall health and what workout is “best” will depend on your unique fitness goals and preferences. 

We recommend incorporating a combination of barre, strength training, and other exercises into your routine to increase your overall strength and help you avoid injury, mental boredom, and burnout. Switching up your workouts will continue to challenge your body and help you see more consistent results over time. 

However, when it comes to exercise, it’s also important to do what you love—if a barre class gets you excited to wake up in the morning, do that! If a strength training plan helps you unwind after a long day, do that! Prioritizing the forms of exercise that you 

enjoy the most will ensure you stay consistent over time and see exercise as a gift to your body and mind, not a punishment. 

Whether it’s a strength class, a barre class, or one of our fusion options, Fever would love to be a part of your fitness journey. Schedule a class today. 

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Introduction to Strength Training

An Introduction to Strength Training

Looking to boost your metabolism, increase your strength, and enhance your mental clarity? Enter strength training. When incorporated regularly into your workout routine, strength training can provide many benefits. Let’s explore the basic concepts of strength training and how you can maximize the results and benefits it provides.

What is Strength Training?

Strength training (also known as resistance training) is a form of exercise focused on gaining muscle mass, building strength, and increasing endurance. Strength training encompasses a wide variety of exercises, using bodyweight or equipment, with a focus on building muscle mass in all major muscle groups – upper body, lower body, and core.

Strength training has many forms. Bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, push ups, and planks are examples of strength training, as are movements that incorporate kettlebells and dumbbells. Resistance and weight machines like leg press, chest press, cables, leg abductors, and pull up machines can all be incorporated into a strength training workout.

Maximizing Results from Strength Training

Warming up your muscles through dynamic stretching before engaging in strength training is important for maximizing your workouts and avoiding injury. Also essential in avoiding injury is proper rest and recovery between strength training sessions. In order to allow muscle recovery between more intense workouts, workout “splits” (focusing on one main muscle group per workout and alternating between them in a pattern) can be beneficial. Regardless of workout intensity, proper stretching and refueling post-workout will assist in muscle growth and recovery.

Health Benefits of Strength Training

The most obvious benefit of strength training is an increase in muscle mass and a toned physique, but this form of exercise also helps build bone density and joint flexibility. Strength training may also be ideal for fat loss as increased muscle mass leads to a higher resting metabolic rate (calories burned at rest). Along with physical benefits, engaging in consistent exercise like strength training contributes to overall health (better sleep!) and mental clarity.

Strength training may seem intimidating at first, but it is a beneficial practice for people at all skill and strength levels. If you’re new to strength training, start with smaller weights or lower reps and increase gradually as you build strength and confidence. Make sure to focus on your warm up, practice proper form, and allow time for recovery to decrease your soreness and maximize your results.

See all the strength training classes we offer at ​yogafevergr.com/classes/strength/

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What is Barre?

What is Barre?

Today we’ll explore the basics of what barre is, the equipment it uses, and discover the unique benefits of this form of exercise.

Barre was created by ballerina Lotte Berk in 1959. After a back injury, Berk began combining her normal ballet routines with her rehabilitative therapy exercises and formed what we know today as barre. So what is barre, exactly? And how different is it from ballet and other forms of exercise?

Basics of Barre

Barre is a form of full-body exercise that combines movements and positions borrowed from ballet with low-impact, repetitive strength exercises, designed to isolate and strengthen muscles. Barre classes often rotate through sections focusing on arms, core/abs, and lower body, repeating small isometric movements targeting one muscle area until muscles are fatigued (yes, you’ll be shaking!) While these movements are the basis of barre exercise, modern barre may include “fusion” classes, incorporating barre movements alongside cardio, HIIT, pilates, and more.

Equipment Used in Barre

Although barre gets its name from the use of the ballet barre, that isn’t the only piece of equipment used in barre exercise. Many barre classes also incorporate resistance bands, sliders, hand or ankle weights, or exercise balls. Body weight movements are often included and, when used, weights are kept light due to the repetitive nature of the exercises. Participants may exercise in bare feet or in socks (socks with special grips may be preferred).

Benefits of Barre

Barre is often praised for its ability to help isolate and tone lean muscle throughout all parts of the body. The slow, repetitive movements used allow you to work muscles in a more focused way than traditional strength training exercises (think squats, push ups, or mountain climbers). The low-impact movements of barre are also significantly easier on your joints than high-impact strength training. In addition to building strength, participants can expect to see increased flexibility and a stronger core. Another benefit? Improved posture and balance. And, like all forms of exercise, barre is beneficial in improving overall health, reducing stress, and increasing mental clarity.

You definitely don’t need a dance background to experience the benefits and fun that barre classes have to offer, so don’t let that intimidate you! In fact, no prior experience or knowledge is required to participate in barre. Whether you’re a total beginner or a former ballerina, barre is a fantastic option for ​anyone​looking to build strength, tone muscle, and increase their mind-body connection.

Schedule your first barre class with us at ​yogafevergr.com/schedule

*Blog post written by Jordan An