As a young child I loved ballet and dreamed about becoming a ballerina. Fast forward to adulthood, and I have found the next best thing. It’s called the Booty Barre® method. I was so inspired by this workout that I went from being a student to a certified instructor.
Booty Barre was created by fitness expert Tracey Mallet in 2009. It has grown from a hot trend available at only a handful of studios to being featured in gyms and studios all over the United States and even internationally.
A fitness class that fuses ballet, pilates, dance, yoga, and balance, Booty Barre tones and defines the whole body. The exercises lengthen and strengthen your muscles, yet are gentle and low-impact on joints.
There are many benefits of Booty Barre. This is a great class for any gender or age. Many of the movements can be modified, so most people can participate regardless of age, past injuries, or other limitations. There are even modifications available for pregnant women.
One of the many benefits of a Booty Barre class is the great overall complete workout, which sculpts your body without adding bulk. The class is made up of many tiny movements, multiple repetitions, squeezes, and pulses to isolate and fatigue the muscles. Your legs should be on fire and shaking during the class.
Newcomers to barre workouts are surprised how many calories you burn and the amount of sweat you drip when the class is done. An average barre class can burn around four hundred calories and leave you drenched in sweat.
Another benefit of Booty Barre class is the rapid results. If you attend class two to four times a week you should start seeing results in a month. You should be sore for the first few classes but then you should start to see firmer thighs, a defined back and arms, flatter abdominals, and a lifted rear. Your balance and flexibility should also improve.
A typical hour-long class consists of a warm-up, arm workout with weights, a routine on the barre, cardio blasts to keep your heartrate elevated, abdominal work, and, to finish it off, stretching.
Studios provide all the equipment you use in class, so you just need to show up ready to work. Many of the routines use a combination of bands, two- to five-pound hand weights, a fixed or portable barre, small Booty Barre balls, and mats. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a dancer or be graceful. Everyone starts at an individual pace and can decide how much to be challenged. The routines are easy to follow, continually changing, and the music is upbeat and keeps you moving.
People often ask what they should wear to class. Depending on the studio and time of year, you want to wear comfortable workout clothes that are lightweight and easy to move in. Most clients prefer to be barefoot but there are special barre socks that you can purchase to help with grip. Make sure you bring water to replenish the fluids you lose through all that sweating.
If you are looking for something new and fun to add to your exercise routine, come see me or one of our other fabulous instructors at Snohomish Sport’s Institute’s Moxie Studio. We offer morning and evening classes. We also offer classes in Bootcamp, TRX, Classic Step, Yoga, Athletic Prep, Soccer Skills Training and, coming soon, Pound and Indo-Row. For those of you who would like to fit in a Booty Barre workout on your lunch hour, we offer a 40-minute lift class.
