4 Things You Need to Bring to the Barre (even on-the-go)

I remember walking into my first Barre class pretty nervous because let’s face it, when we try something new, sometimes we really don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into. I don’t want you to have this same feeling when signing up for your first Barre class. I want you to feel confident when beginning a Barre practice, and I want my beginners to feel confident when they join our studio.

Throughout the month I will have several new clients ask me what they need to have on hand to make the practice doable, so I thought I’d share them here for anyone just starting out on their Barre journey to ease the stress of the unknown and cultivate confidence as you walk into your first sweat sesh!

A Hand Towel – Let’s just say Barre is going to make you sweat. Not all the time, but most of the time. You will want to have a hand towel somewhere next to you to keep the sweat at bay and/or the mascara from burning your eyes! Yes, it’s a thing and it really does burn. One of my favorite things to do at the end of class is to rinse the towel in cold water, ring it out and lay it over my face. The cold towel over your face after a sweat sesh can be everything! It feels so good. This of course is optional, but if you haven’t tried it, you should.

Water – Girl, you knew this one was coming. It is so important to hydrate while you work. Our barre practices are designed in blocks. There is a block for arms, a block for legs (Don’t be fooled, we do legs the whole time. This is just a leg specific block.), a block for core, etc. These blocks each have their own level of intensity for different people. Some prefer arms over legs, some legs over arms and so on . My point here is one of these blocks is bound to make your breath heavy and leave you really craving some hydration mid-workout or what we like to call mid-bodywork. Best practice is to keep water on hand, nearby, and easily accessible so you can jump back into the bodywork without missing a beat.

A Surface – In Barre we do a lot of movement that is best supported by a surface. We also do plenty of static holds, and let me tell you, when you’re fatigued you can bet, you’re going to want something to hold onto. Any surface will do! Be creative here. You can use the back of a couch, your kitchen table, your kitchen counter, a back of a chair (preferably with no wheels), a wall, a desk, etc. You could even use a broom or a swifter and just use the handle for support. The options to take your Barre practice anywhere are endless. If you’re a member of Honey Bee Sweat (or plan to be soon), you know we love to travel and take our practice anywhere. This gives us the opportunity to get really creative with what we use for our barre and we hope it encourages you, too!

An Open Mind – Mmmhmm I said it! You need an open mind when it comes to Barre just like you need keep an open mind to anything else. Some of the moves may feel weird at first. Your body may be asking you what the heck you are doing, and you may feel a little awkward getting used to everything. This is totally normal. The reason this happens for most people is because their body is not used to the new movement patterns and/or the smaller muscles surrounding the hips, shoulders, etc. are tight. Repeating a Barre practice is going to allow your smaller muscles the opportunity to open up and experience the full expression of each movement increasing your flexibility and gaining strength along the way. An open mind provides the space for the change to happen. If you quit too early, no results … just like anything else, right? So, don’t give up and always show up with an open mind.

ALSO! If you have questions, ask! As instructors (I’m speaking for myself here) we LOVE to teach. Ask us, show us, explain what you’re feeling, and we will help iron it all out for you. Let us support you!

So, there it is, the fab four! These are the four things I recommend you always show up with to support your Barre practice, even on-the-go. If you’re at home you always have an option to add weights to any of the arm blocks, ankle weights throughout the whole practice, or nothing at all. If you’re traveling you can still add props, just keep it creative. Use your toiletry case or a water bottle as a weight and be cool with that. Any movement throughout your day is magical as long as you show up and do the best you can with what you’ve got. Remember, your options are endless and you my friend are supported.

If you’re ready to give this Barre thing a try, click here to grab a free class. Use code: BEOURGUEST at checkout.
Don’t worry, I’ll be right here every step of the way.

Still have some questions? Click here to send me an email.
I did say you’re supported, right? Because you are.