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I was recently invited to my first Barre class in Dallas. I was a bit skeptical because I haven’t been working out like I should be, but I love trying new things so I figured I would give it a try. When I walked in the room, I was surprised to see everyone lined up around the balancing bars on the wall instead of in the middle of the room standing beside each other. Little did I know that I was about to have a tricky workout like I’ve never experienced before.
I’m going to give you a heads up on four things I wish I’d known before showing up to the class. But, before I do that. Let me explain to you the main reason I thought barre class was deceiving to me.
As I was going through the workout, I honestly thought that each move was easy for about the first 10 seconds. After that, every single move was torturous. Don’t get me wrong, it was in the good, I’m-gonna-be-10-lbs-lighter-after-this-workout, kind of way. But still. For the movements we were doing, I was shocked by how tired I was afterwards. But that wasn’t all that caught me by surprise, so here is that heads up I was talking about.
- Barre is basically ballet for dummies. Now, I’m not saying you have to be an idiot to take the classes, but you can be completely unfamiliar with ballet and “pass” the class. This class was the first time I ever got to plie. I thought I would like it, but like I said earlier after about 10 seconds in my body was shaking! In Barre, you are basically in plie position the whole class. While doing that you also get to stand on your tippy toes and throw your pelvis forward. Its actually a lot more fun than it sounds, especially if you’re surrounded by other newbies in the class. I’ll just say my barre class neighbor and I had quite a few giggles. I guess I’m not as graceful as I look.
- Yoga socks are necessary. Trust me when I say that the grip on yoga socks are necessary for a class like this. Because you are in ballet positions the whole class, you’ll find that you are on your toes a log. Yoga socks can help you balance a bit more comfortably. I prefer to use Kushyfoot Yoga Socks because they’re comfortable and have extra padding. Plus they’re a bit more affordable than some other brands I’ve seen (they are $17.95 for 3 pairs). The first time I went to a barre class, I forgot socks and had to buy them at the studio. One pair cost me a steep $15 bucks. So yeah, Kushyfoot is the way to go!
(Me trying to reenact the plie in my Kushyfoot Yoga Socks. Such a professional.)
- Leggings aren’t an option, they’re mandatory. Of course, in most cases we tend to wear leggings anyways, simply because they make our butts look good. But for those brave souls out there that normally work out in shorts, this is your warning! The barre studio I went to won’t even let you workout in shorts. I’m guessing it is because you have a ball between your legs for half of the class. Anyways, I love my Katie K Active leggings because they don’t ride up! Plus, they have clothes for the skinny girls and the plus-sized girls! (Be sure to use coupon code GINGER15 to get 15% off!) Oh, and so there is no confusion, when I said you’d have a ball between your legs in class, I meant one of these:
- You may get addicted. As much as I laugh and complain about how difficult the class was, I really was surprised by how good of a workout it is. I mean here you are doing these small movements where you’re only moving your body about an inch in each exercise, but you’re sweating like a pig after 5 minutes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a workout that made me super sore without any cardio or heavy weightlifting involved. At the end of the day, I loved it and I definitely plan on going back!
Well, those are some reasons why barre class is deceiving. I was thoroughly surprised by how much I liked the class. It made me feel pain in places that I didn’t know could be workout-sore. But, of course that was a good thing.
Have you ever been to a barre class? How about any “new-to-you” workout classes recently? What did you like/dislike about them. Let me know in the comments below.
Here are my favorite Katie K Active workout clothes that would be perfect for your first barre class! Be sure to use coupon code GINGER15 for 15% of your order!! The first two are only available for pre-order right now, but I love them! I am expecting mine in a couple of weeks so look out for a post on them!
