What To Expect For Your First Barre Class

You’re in your first barre class, gliding smoothly between ballet barre exercises, and you feel like a model. Sweat gently glistening on your forehead, a fan blowing the hair away from your face, and your new Lululemon clothes hugging you just right.

And then reality hits.

The sweat is dripping off of you, you’re tugging at your leggings trying to get them to fit right, and you can barely keep up with the cues from the barre instructor.

Don’t worry — everyone’s first class is a little overwhelming. Before you know it though, you’ll be moving through pliés like a trained ballerina and counting down the hours until your next barre class. Here at Yoga Pod Austin, we offer yoga classes along with boutique fitness classes, meaning you can get all you want out of your gym membership at one convenient location. From meditation tips to your standard vinyasa flow to podBARRE and podBARRE Express, Yoga Pod offers all the boutique fitness in Austin you could want. Read here for what to expect during your first barre class, and then sign up today! We’re currently offering 30 days of Yoga Pod classes for only $30. Now, let’s get started.

What Is Barre?

It’s OK to be curious about what the heck the class even is — we’re asked “What is barre?” over and over again each month. It’s a trendy boutique fitness class that has gained a lot of steam over the past few years. It’s a combination of pilates, yoga, and ballet that involves a ballet barre, lots of balance, and lots of repeated movements. You can expect floor work at the beginning to strengthen and warm up the upper body, then barre work with a focus on the legs and glutes, and finally a cooldown for recovery.

Think Small

You won’t be seeing any big, explosive movements in your barre classes. Ballet barre exercises generally consist of movements that seem small but are actually incredibly effective. The barre exercises will have a small range of motion, but will deliver results.

Engage Your Core

We know — core is the worst. However, your core should always be engaged during barre classes (and really all boutique fitness classes). This will help you make sure you’re isolating the correct muscles and getting the most out of your workout.

Check Your Footwear

When you sign up for your barre class, ask if it’s OK to be barefoot or if you should wear gripped socks. Wear comfortable, tighter clothing that will show your muscles so the barre instructor can verify your movements are correct.

Repetition Is Key

You’re not going to have met all of your fitness goals by the end of your first class (though you’ll probably be sore the next day). Continue regularly attending barre classes so you can truly improve.

Ready to try some of those ballet barre exercises? Sign up for boutique fitness at Yoga Pod Austin — you can get the first 30 days for only $30!