Barre is great for everyone. It’s an all-time favorite among models, celebrities, beginners, and pros, and for a good reason! Barre workouts result in not just helping us achieve incredible physiques, but better mental health as well.
Barre workouts are a combination of the best of the best: the core strength of pilates, the mindfulness of yoga, the high intensity of strength workouts, and the energy of cardio—all packed into a mix of fun, confidence-building, and shaky muscles.
Each barre class helps build muscle strength, improves posture and stability, and tones the body.
But now that we’ve established some of the benefits of barre to our physique, what exactly can these movements do for our brain?
Barre is just as great a workout for your brain as it is for your body.
Coordinating the movements, remembering the different sequences and flows, responding to technique cues, and motivating you to hold the position through the burn requires mental focus.
There are so many moments in a barre workout where your brain needs to be fully engaged.
When we say barre is a full-body workout, we mean it! Just because it isn’t sweating doesn’t mean your brain isn’t working just as hard as your body.
Trainers during all Physique 57 classes will ensure you’re correctly aligned and using the correct form.
Being mindful of these movements will create a deep consciousness and connection between your mind and body.
How Barre Workouts Result In Mindfulness
Taking the time out of your daily life to join a workout session, specifically a Physique 57 barre class, is a great way to prioritize self-care.
But we know life sometimes gets busy, and we often find ourselves distracted during our workouts, thinking about our to-do list, errands we have to run, etc.
When this happens, our minds feel like they’re constantly running at a million miles per hour, and we’re trying to figure out how to turn it off and focus on what we’re currently doing.
This part is where mindfulness comes in.
You might be thinking that mindfulness is a practice that involves only sitting down quietly to meditate.
But mindfulness is the ability to be fully present at the moment, and since barre requires your brain to remain intensely focused on each movement, it is, in fact, a meditation in motion.
Furthermore, making an effort to be present and mindful during a barre class can actually enhance and accelerate your results.
Barre workouts require body awareness, and that means that your brain is tapping into what your body is doing.
Because this exercise is high energy and moves rapidly, the mind needs to work hard to adapt and find a position to keep up the pace.
You might hear your instructor remind you of technique cues such as maintaining your posture at the barre, engaging your abs, or keeping the alignment in the hips, knees, and ankles.
All these details are not just physical work: they require your brain to send signals so that proper alignment can be achieved and maintained.
Essentially, barre workouts are a mindful movement: a deep consciousness and connection between your mind and your body.
Why Does Mindfulness Matter In Barre Class?
Exercise generally helps reduce stress, whereas yoga quiets the mind, and cardio gets it all out. Barre workouts sit somewhere in between.
Barre is a mental workout, as each movement requires mental strength to stay engaged, helping build mental resilience and mindfulness.
Mindfulness during workouts will benefit you both in and out of the studio.
Being mindful can increase your ability to regulate emotions, reduce stress, and manage anxiety and depression.
It can also aid in extending your attention span and focus and observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Being mindful throughout a barre session also improves your physical health through functional, full-body movement.
Being fully aware of your surroundings and present in your barre class will ensure you’re focusing on the proper form and getting the best and most effective workout possible.
And because your mind and body are completely present and engaged, you may notice a higher sense of satisfaction with yourself and a significant mood boost after each barre workout.
Do you know how after each barre class, you feel both exhausted and exhilarated? Your muscles are shaking with fatigue, but you also feel like a superhero.
That euphoria is thanks to another incredibly clever interaction between mind and body: endorphins—the hormones triggered by the body during physical activities that interact with receptors in the brain, reducing our perception of pain and producing a positive feeling or rush in the body.
It’s one of the things that has us coming back for more even though we know what our glutes and core are in for!
Conclusion
When you start actively practicing mindfulness during barre class, you help accelerate your results.
Not only that, but you’ll also feel more relaxed, empowered, and confident even outside of the studio.
However, the benefits of barre don’t stop there.
Practicing mindfulness has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression, increase your attention span, and regulate emotions more effectively.
We all want to feel like our best selves, and that’s exactly what every barre workout results in.
To find a mind-body connection and a workout like no other, book your next barre class with Physique 57 today!
You can also subscribe to our On Demand to experience barre in the comfort of your home.
