I absolutely LOVE barre, I cannot talk enough about it. I’ll tell you why I love it as much as I do. I’ve been into my gym for years, 26 years to be precise.
I prefer a hard workout, I like to do cardio to help keep my heart healthy and weights to build muscle, strengthen my bones, burn fat (the list is endless when it comes to the benefit of either aspect).
My friend and I went to a barre class in London before I even knew it was thing. Years back. I was running, I was in the gym 6 times a week, I had 2 small babies but I was back in the gym in a big way.
Then, we went to this barre class. And the pair of us struggled, the whole way through the class, It was one of the hardest ‘gym’ classes I have ever been to. And I ached like hell for days after. It was beautiful, it was elegant, it was endurance, it was hardcore!
I haven’t found any other fitness session locally (Milton Keynes) that comes close to the one we did in London that day.
As a result I qualified as a Barre instructor through the IBBFA (International Ballet Barre Fitness Association), they gave me the freedom to teach their barre as I choose. I don’t have to follow a set structure, like you do with many fitness associations. I can use my personal training experience and plan a session with weights, mats, the barre, pilates balls, straps, whatever I want to use. I can tailor it when I’m in the class to accommodate amazingly flexible people (or not) or people trying barre out for the first time, or experienced barre enthusiasts.
I couldn’t find the class, so I made the class.
I’m not going to lie, I still find Barre hard to this day - and thats another reason why I love it. I never tire of it. The elegance of those pliés, the floaty arms while your legs are enduring their 32nd pulse and shaking like god knows what. The relief when you finally come out of a pulse and have to do a ‘normal’ plié (if you know, you know). The long limbs, the feeling of standing taller, feeling more beautiful when you leave a session, it sticks with me, and its addictive.
That is why barre is the best.