What is barre?
Every week at Thrive I am asked, "What is this barre class?" and "Can anyone do it?"
Barre, pronounced /bär/ (as in the place one might visit to obtain liquid refreshment) is a fun, ballet inspired fitness class.
Barre is very popular right now and classes are popping up everywhere. It's important to know that each class and each instructor will offer a slightly different experience.
At Thrive, barre is suitable for all fitness levels. We work hard to create an easy, welcoming environment. The class is fun, and full of laughter.
"What about folks with an injured knee? Knee pain? Arthritis?"
Knee pain and injury is so common that it is important to us that barre at Thrive be safe for knees.
Yes, we do knee-bending exercises like plies and squats but we do lots of other exercises, too. We also stress the importance of proper form during movements that bend the knee in order to keep our knees safe. If any movement is uncomfortable Thrive is an environment where each individual can feel comfortable omitting a movement or modifying a movement to suit their level.
A typical barre class starts with a warm up of the whole body. We stretch the spine and move through squats, plies, and releves to warm up the legs. Next up we do a sequence of ballet inspired exercises at the barre. We move on to some upper body work with light weights and a sequence designed to elevate the heart rate. We finish up with some abdominal work on a yoga mat and gentle stretching.
There, not so scary, right?
At Thrive barre is not bouncy. We do not offer any jumping exercises, nor does it include deep knee bends. What it is - is fun. We laugh a lot. When the movements are hard, we complain vigorously. There was this one time where the class participants threw the mini exercise balls at me after a particularly delightful inner thigh sequence. Good stuff.
So there you have it, barre at Thrive. No, it might not be for everyone - and that's ok. But it is a welcoming environment where everyone who is interested can come and give it a try.
Yes, even you!
Barre, pronounced /bär/ (as in the place one might visit to obtain liquid refreshment) is a fun, ballet inspired fitness class.
Barre is very popular right now and classes are popping up everywhere. It's important to know that each class and each instructor will offer a slightly different experience.
At Thrive, barre is suitable for all fitness levels. We work hard to create an easy, welcoming environment. The class is fun, and full of laughter.
"What about folks with an injured knee? Knee pain? Arthritis?"
Knee pain and injury is so common that it is important to us that barre at Thrive be safe for knees.
Yes, we do knee-bending exercises like plies and squats but we do lots of other exercises, too. We also stress the importance of proper form during movements that bend the knee in order to keep our knees safe. If any movement is uncomfortable Thrive is an environment where each individual can feel comfortable omitting a movement or modifying a movement to suit their level.
A typical barre class starts with a warm up of the whole body. We stretch the spine and move through squats, plies, and releves to warm up the legs. Next up we do a sequence of ballet inspired exercises at the barre. We move on to some upper body work with light weights and a sequence designed to elevate the heart rate. We finish up with some abdominal work on a yoga mat and gentle stretching.
There, not so scary, right?
At Thrive barre is not bouncy. We do not offer any jumping exercises, nor does it include deep knee bends. What it is - is fun. We laugh a lot. When the movements are hard, we complain vigorously. There was this one time where the class participants threw the mini exercise balls at me after a particularly delightful inner thigh sequence. Good stuff.
So there you have it, barre at Thrive. No, it might not be for everyone - and that's ok. But it is a welcoming environment where everyone who is interested can come and give it a try.
Yes, even you!
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