What to Expect From Your First Visit to Barre Class
I recently tried my first barre lesson, thanks to the magic of Classpass , which makes it easy to drop into a new studio to try something you’ve never done before. My impression: It’s a good workout, but in a way … well, it’s not the best way to express it. Boring.
Here are the pros, in my opinion:
- The rod itself (something like a railing up to the waist in the room) is a good support for the exercises.
- After that, I definitely felt like my muscles went through a good workout.
- If you close your eyes, you can imagine that you are a pretty ballerina.
And the cons:
- The movements are usually small and grueling: keep your leg up for three million years, swinging it back and forth.
- If you open your eyes, you will be surrounded by mirrors, which will make it very clear that you are not a beautiful ballerina.
The studio required us to wear socks; Many barre enthusiasts like to use sticky socks with protrusions at the bottom for a little grip. Another perk that may be specific to my studio: they didn’t have changing rooms, but they have a long counter with mirrors installed above it. The counter was stocked with beauty products like dry shampoo to freshen up after your workout . I had two simultaneous reactions: “This is so thoughtful!” and “The other people who come here have to be much more stylish than me because I will go home as usual, sweating.”
Barre’s lessons are very popular, so just because I didn’t like them doesn’t mean you won’t. And in fact, I did more barre than anything else on Classpass, simply because barre studio is the most convenient time to practice. They also offer activities that combine the barbell with other types of exercise, such as kickboxing, which are nice to diversify.
So I am curious for those who do barre: what do you like about it? And what would you say to someone who tries to do it for the first time?