Barre Information

Barre

Do you want the litheness of a ballet dancer's body? Or do you want to be just as graceful as a dancing ballerina? The thin, lithe, and supple frame of ballerinas is popular because of how graceful, attractive, and efficient it looks. If you want the same features, you are not alone. A ballet dancer has one of the most ideal bodies and to look and feel like one is probably the best thing you can do for your body.

Barre is a ballet inspired exercise routine. It makes use of the ballet barre (hence, the name) and one has to perform moves based on popular ballet positions. Since its inception, there have been many variations of the workout and instructors have come up with several interpretations and versions. There are many benefits associated with the barre workout routine which is why it has become a fitness trend all around the world.

Typical barre workouts include two types of movements – one which focus on the lower body and the other which focuses on the upper body. To tone and train your lower body, an exercise ball is usually used while the barre workouts are used for toning the arms, chest, back, and abs. You will be able to improve your physical appearance and posture easily through barre. The following points enlist the many benefits of the barre workout.

• Increased strength

◦ Barre moves may not look like typical strength training exercises but they can definitely help increase your bodily strength.

◦ Barre method is based on isometric contractions, that is, not changing the joint angle and muscle length when a muscle contraction happens.

◦ This means that you will not visibly bulk up but it will definitely help you maintain the strength of your muscles and even increase it.

◦ Isometric moves also pose less risk of injury during workouts which means you strengthen but do not break.

• Exercise for multiple muscle groups

◦ Barre workout targets multiple muscle groups at once.

◦ Each move requires you to do a lot of things at once such as stretching, holding, and pulsing at once. This trains multiple muscle groups and causes more than just one benefit in one go.

• Improvement in mental and physical coordination

◦ Barre movements improve the neuro-muscular connection and activate the muscles which were underused till now.

◦ It is a great way to improve and enhance the awareness of your body.

• Weight loss

◦ Barre is also a way to lose weight if you have been struggling with being overweight.

◦ The workout tones your muscles and facilitates the loss of extraneous fat from the body. You will lose weight but it may not be as immediate or apparent.

You can reap all of those benefits but there is one condition – you need to work hard and work regularly.

Further Information

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/pilates/exercises/barre-beginners-guide/