Barre is a popular low-impact method of fitness created in 1959 by European dancer Lotte Berk. According to Peloton barre instructor Ally Love, "Barre is a modality that was created from dance and ballet. It's a combination of big movements followed by shortened movements, isometric holds, and pulses." Barre workouts consist of ballet-inspired movements like squat pulses, pliés, and other exercises that individually target specific areas of the body, "including the arms, legs, glutes, and core," says Women's Health.
These exercises are performed to the point of muscle fatigue to create "a full-body, muscle endurance workout." The barre devotee understands that this workout ignites a burn. And just like you'll find in ballet, a key aspect to barre is in maintaining impeccable posture throughout the moves. Women's Health also notes that stretching is a key barre component which helps to "increase overall flexibility."
The great thing about barre is you can do it just about anywhere. You can easily jump into a workout with just the back of a chair and two soda cans as weights. The exercises use bodyweight resistance to train the entire body, says Kate Grove, a master trainer at The Bar Method (via The/Thirty). But you'll really start noticing toned back, shoulder, and arm muscles if you use 2–3 pound weights during the exercises, Grove adds. So although barre is low impact, it has moments of high intensity that will undoubtedly make you sweat.
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