What is a barre class anyway?

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I’m guessing that some of you think that a barre class is only for people that have taken dance lessons in the past!   That is absolutely not the case.    The Barre classes at Rivercity Pilates combine attributes of Pilates, dance, and functional fitness training. This class incorporates small isolated movement to fatigue the muscles, large range of motion to elevate the heart rate, and sequencing that incorporates upper and lower body to make every minute count.  This results in a total body workout that leaves you mentally strong and feeling accomplished.

Here are some frequently asked questions we hear about barre class.

Do I need to have ballet experience or know the ballet terminology?
No, our instructors will explain and demonstrate each movement.

Is it ok to hang on to the barre?
Absolutely.    The barre is there to assist you in keeping your balance.

Will this hurt my knees?

The small controlled movements and the attention to form make this a great class even for those who have chronic knee pain or even a knee replacement. There is not any impact or jumping in the class!  By doing controlled movements that strengthen around the knee joint, we find the clients who have had knee issues in the past discover Barre class helps them to keep their legs strong and avoid future injuries!

Do I need to be able to stand on my tip toes (like a ballerina)?
No. If rising to the balls of your feet does not feel good in your feet our instructors will give you options to keep your whole foot grounded!

Is the entire class done standing?   
No, usually around half of the class is done standing at the barre. The other half of class will be a combination of Pilates and functional body strengthening exercises that are done on a cushioned mat.

Is it ok to take a break if my legs get tired?
Of course — we never want you to overwork!  You’ll see lots of different levels of fitness in our classes and our instructors are fabulous at reminding you how to work at your own level!

Do I need to wear a leotard and tutu?
No, just wear exercise clothes that you are comfortable in!  But of course if you want to put on your favorite tutu…we don’t mind!

Are you tired of feeling stiff and achy?

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One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients as they age is stiffness and specifically morning stiffness. If you often find yourself feeling stiff and creaky wondering what is going on with your body…I have some great news for you.  There are lots of things you can do to improve how your body feels and diminish the feeling of stiffness!  

Robert Chu wrote a great article called 10 Tips to Overcome Morning Stiffness and here’s what he lists as the main causes of Morning Stiffness :
The basic causes of morning stiffness are lack of daily physical activity, being overweight, having a poor diet, not sleeping properly, and being in an environment that tends to be cold and/or damp.  

The great news about this list is that all of these things are things you have control over!  By doing things like moving more, paying attention to what you are eating, having good sleep habits and keeping your environment comfortable you can keep your self feeling less stiff and creaky and more mobile!  

Here’s a few of my favorite movement inspired tips for feeling best in your body:

  1. Regular exercise that moves your body in a variety of ways.  You know how every time you look at a 5 year old they are doing something different with their body…jumping, twisting, summersaulting, squatting, etc.?  As adults we could take some lessons from those 5 year olds.  My favorite motto when it comes to our aging bodies is: move it or lose it! When we don’t regularily move our body in different ways… we start to lose the ability to move like that. It might not be socially acceptable for most adults to twist and cartwheel throughout their days, but what we can do is choose exercise time that encourages our bodies to move in a variety of ways to counter the fact that most of us are probably not moving as much as our bodies would like them too!  Practices like Pilates, Yoga and Martial Arts are great for safely introducing a variety of movements.   
  2. Add more mini movement time throughout your days.  When we make an effort to look at our activity throughout our days most of us probably are finding we are pretty sedentary.  Taking more breaks from sitting, parking further away at the grocery store or always getting up during commercials of your favorite TV show can help keep your body moving more and feeling less stiff and creaky!  Need some ideas on how to move more?  Check out our Office Pilates series on YOUTUBE for a great series of movements that can be done at the office or even from your favorite lounge chair at home!! 
  3. Drink lots of water...this one seems so simple but it is so important! Did you know staying well hydrated actually helps your joints feel better?  Read more about the benefits of drinking more water and joint pain here! It turns out your joints need water to stay healthy and as you might guess everything in our body functions better when it has enough water.  If you are adding more movement time in you may want to consider adding more water in to your life as your body will need it to function at it’s best!  
  4. Stretch more.  The feeling of stiffness often is a result of muscle tightness that happens due to our lifestyle. Sitting for long periods of time can especially affect muscles in our neck, back and hips.  Self massage techniques using small therapy balls is one of my favorite ways to  stretch and lengthen tight muscles and fascia(the connective tissue covering the muscles in our body).  If you are new to these techniques try a rolling class like our Roll, Release and Relax class that is designed to help you stretch and lengthen muscles throughout your entire body! Do you experience tightness in your low back, hips or backs of legs?  Some simple stretches at home with a theraband or yoga strap can really help loosen up tight muscles and will probably only take 5-10 minutes at the most! 

Looking for some ways to add more healthy, safe movement into your life? We would love to introduce you to the benefits of a mindful movement practice like Pilates in your life!  Sign up for a complimentary private session to get introduced to the studio, talk to an experienced teacher about your health goals and get introduced to Pilates!  

March Beginner Classes (4 week series)

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Beginner Class 4-Week Series 

 
 
Wondering the best way to get started? Our beginner series classes will get you introduced to the movements in your body in a very beginner friendly atmosphere!  Schedule a complimentary private session with us and we can help you decide what options would be best for you based on your goals and movement experience! 
 
Beginner Barre & Pilates Mat 
with Shannon Ottoson
Sundays, March 4, 11, 18, 25
4pm – 5pm
Click here to sign up!
Beginner Yoga 
with Nick Glasgow
Sundays, March 4, 11, 18, 25
6pm – 7pm
Click here to sign up!

What do we do in Barre Class?

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Have you heard about Barre classes and wondered what exactly they were?  Maybe you wondered if they were the type of class that you would enjoy and if they would be good for your body?  In the video above Rivercity Pilates instructor Shannon Ottoson gives you a taste of what to expect in a Barre & Pilates class at the studio.

Although our Barre & Pilates Mat classes are totally suitable for beginners (and we promise you would feel totally comfortable!), we know that some times it’s a little intimidating starting a new class. Clients are often worried about not knowing the routines and movements and if they will be able to follow along without feeling silly.  That is why we are offering a 4 week series called Beginning Barre!

The Beginner Barre class will introduce you to the movements and concepts in a slower paced environment so you’ll feel comfortable learning what it’s all about.  This class is run in a 4 week series but you can drop into any or all of the classes! The Beginner Barre class series will run from October 11th – November 1st).

Barre? I am the opposite of a ballerina!

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IMG_6580Have you heard of “Barre” Workouts?   There’s all kinds of workouts with “barre” in the name of the class at every gym and in the exercise DVD section of Amazon — but the only connection that I knew about was the barre is used in ballet lessons.     So what’s the class about and can a non-ballerina be successful?   I did some research.

It may look like ballet, but it’s not.  Barre fitness classes are ballet inspired, incorporating a mix of ballet barre and pilates work with plies and kicks in the workout.    Barre classes are choreographed to motivating music, and in each targeted workout, you’ll use the bar and exercise eequipment such as small hand weights and mini balls to slim and stretch your entire body.   You don’t need dance experience to be comfortable in a Barre class.

What’s the difference between barre and a typical strength training class? Rather than larger, compound movements (think squats and shoulder presses), you’ll perform tiny, one-inch increments called isometric movements. That’s why you’ll often hear, “Down an inch, up an inch,” repeated by barre teachers.  The barre is used as a prop to balance while doing exercises that focus on isometric strength training (holding your body still while you contract a specific set of muscles) combined with high reps of small range-of-motion movements.

For someone who’s used to other cross training classes, it may seem like you’re not working hard enough. But that’s absolutely not the case, experts say. In fact, you’re getting a killer workout because the one-inch increments are enough to fire up the muscle and make it more elastic, but not too big to tear the muscle.

IMG_6609Some articles say that the major benefits of barre are improved posture, muscle definition, weight loss, increased flexibility and reduced stress. Women at just about any age and fitness level sign up for classes.  Barre classes are perfectly fine for pregnant women because they’re not high impact. They may even help with imbalance (a common issue during pregnancy due to that growing belly) and stability.   Weight loss results are highly individualized depending on how many barre workouts you do and how consistently you do them.

Do you have to look like a ballerina (tiny, lean and flexible) to take a Barre class?  The simple answer is no.  Barre is mindful movement. Participants can start at whatever fitness level they are at.  The instructor will lead you through the movements, and suggest adjustments based on each student’s working level.  You will sweat.  Your muscles will shake because of the repeated, small movements.

What should you wear to barre class?   Leggings, a sports bra, and a tank will do the trick.   You may want to wear some grippy socks to prevent slipping.

IMG_6583Why should you add a barre class to your workouts each week?   It’s easy on the joints, low impact, motivating and almost every article I read said that Barre targets “problem areas” for women.   Who doesn’t want to target those “problem areas”?    Articles also said that results could be seen and felt in as little as a month for people that add 2-3 barre classes a week to their workout routine!!

Still apprehensive?    Rivercity Pilates is offering “Barre Basics Getting Started Package” that includes a Barre Basic Workshop and a package  of 5 Barre classes at the studio. The Barre Basics workshop will teach you everything you need to know about this dance and Pilates inspired workout! The workshop will go over all the basic movement patterns and techniques used in Barre classes, give modifications for different bodies and give you a chance to practice basic Barre sequences!  You can save 20% if you sign up by August 22nd and you’ll be off to a great start with your new Barre practice!!

Click the image below to sign up for the Barre Basics Getting Started Package!Barre Basics Package (1)