When performing at the barre, rest your hands lightly on the barre for balance. The pressure this places on the knees can increase the risk of knee injury, particularly if someone goes running immediately after a barre class. It also helps with posture and balance. "A barre workout combines traditional elements of a classical ballet barre workout with Pilates and contemporary leg exercises to offer a low-impact, challenging workout focusing on the lower body," explains Erickson. Pliés are also done in varying positions of the feet, including first position with the feet turned out and touching at the heel and fifth position with the feet are turned out and one foot crossed over the other.

[7] Holding muscles in contraction for extended periods frequently leads to them shaking as they fatigue.

"Barre class is a workout technique inspired by elements of ballet, yoga, and Pilates," says DiGiorgio.
There are less than 3 weeks until summer and now is the time to turn up the heat on all of your workouts! And barre workouts truly take dance-inspired exercise to the next level. [6] The American Council on Exercise noted a rise in popularity of barre classes after the release of the 2010 movie Black Swan.

[2][6] Repetitions tend to be high, range-of-motion small, and weights, when used, light (1–1.5kg or 2–3 pounds). From a stronger core to better posture to leaner legs, the benefits are numerous. Just like in a tendu exercise, dégagés start and finish with the feet in first or fifth and the leg can be extended to the front, side or back.

It is distinguished from other group fitness activities by its use of the ballet barre and its incorporation of movements derived from ballet. Barre work generally begins with a plié exercise. Lessons learned at the barre are then translated into center work and choreography.

From first or fifth position of the feet, the movement begins by tenduing the foot to the front, then moved to the side and then to the back. These 9 moves target your belly from every angle.
This practice can lead to back pain and injuries. Tendu, meaning to stretch, is done by stretching the leg with a pointed toe on the ground either to the front, side or back of the body. [7] Furthermore, isometric movements are less effective than compound movements at encouraging muscle fibre growth and increased metabolic rate that will help reach weight loss goals. dance shoes image by Richard J Thompson from Fotolia.com.

[2][6][8] By 2015, the Pure Barre chain alone had nearly 300 studios in the United States, and The Bar Method had over 80. In 1959 she opened The Lotte Berk Studio in her West End basement. Use this arms and abs workout to strengthen your abdominals and arm muscles without any equipment. Movements used in an adage exercise can include pliés, rond de jambe en l'air (round of the leg in the air), développé (where the dancer draws the foot up the side of the leg and then extends it to the front, side or back at a 90 degree angle from the ground) and various standard positions of the body. Barre exercises are used to warm-up the body, develop technique, prepare for more difficult and elaborate movements, and provide structure for the dancer to focus on strength, coordination and patterning. Already sore but love it :). [2], One of Berk's students, Lydia Bach, brought barre to the United States. Dégagé exercises are used to further warm up the feet and calves and to prepare a dancer's body for more intricate footwork later in the class or in choreography. "Teaching Beginning Ballet Techniques”; Gayle Kassing and Danielle M. Jay; 1998. [2] She opened the Lotte Berk Method studio in New York City in 1971, where it operated until 2005.

|via @SparkPeople #barre #fitness, A floor barre workout for beginners. [2] The Los Angeles based chain Pop Physique popularized Barre by appealing to a younger urban hipster demographic,[citation needed] opening studios In Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. [7] The balletic plié movement used in many barre classes relies on bending the knee outwards with the legs rotated away from the centreline of the body. We've added some weightlifting to round.