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Health

26th Sep 2012

Feeling Good with Georgina: Body Blitz At The Barre

"Any shortcuts to looking good are worth a try." So says Georgina Ahern, who's taking on some ballet-inspired fitness classes.

Her

If you want to shake up your resistance training programme or regular toning class, try to find some Barre classes available near you. 

Barre classes not only help achieve all the regular results of a great toning class, but as it’s ballet-inspired fitness it promises the long lean physique you would achieve in a dancing class, without having to dance a beat. 

Any shortcuts to looking good are worth a try!

Like most good toning classes, Barre can help you work on achieving lots of positives – like good posture and toning up, and of course a full body workout.

Barre exercises are not cardio-based, or indeed a dance class at all. These classes are also known as dance-ilates in some places.

What the class actually involves is toning exercises based at the ballet bar. Mat work is also part of the class, with a big focus on Pilates-type exercises and Yoga-inspired movements too, with an emphasis also added in on stretching afterwards. 

A faster pace warm-up is added in (with no dance experience required!). It consists of arm movements inspired by ballet, often with small hands weights thrown in for good measure.

Over all, it’s a low-impact exercise class and after your warm-up you take to the bar. At the bar, you are almost in a squat-like position carrying out some movements, so extra concentration is required as you carry out work on your legs. 

Resistance bands and soft balls can be added for working your legs even more, which also adds variety to each class.

All exercises rely on your own body weight, but all the moves challenge and work your core strength; this means working your tummy muscles, improving your stability and balance, and working your legs, arms and bum too. 

After bar-work you then take to the mat, just like in Pilates, where continuous movements and exercise are carried out. Repetition of certain exercises and a variety of said exercises are used, targeting different muscles every time. 

You will work till burning point! Working as hard as you can will help you tone up and strengthen your muscles, helping you to burn fat quickly and shaping you up faster!

Keep on moving!

Enjoy,

Georgina

Xx

Topics:

fitness