Get a Great Barre Workout At Home

No, it’s not the bar you may be thinking of. Barre class is the latest craze lighting up gyms everywhere. And with good reason. Barre is inspired by classic ballet, yoga and Pilates moves so you gain strength while toning those hard-to-target muscles in your core, arms and legs

As you know, Burlington is all about looking good and feeling good, too – and we have a great selection of activewear to fit your budget. To help you reach your fitness goals, we asked certified barre instructor, Maegan R., to show us some super-easy moves you can do right at home or at the gym. The best part? Anyone – regardless of age, weight or fitness level – can plié his or her way to a stronger body.

THE WARMUP

Warming up is essential before any workout. Start with alternating knee lifts, raising the opposite arm as knee. To increase intensity, point your toes and add a small twist at the waist to engage your core.

FIRST POSITION

Put your heels together and toes apart (like a slice of pizza). Want it more challenging? Come up to relevé (on the balls of your feet). Roll back your shoulders, put your hands on your hips and tuck under your tailbone. Slowly plié by bending and straightening at the knees, squeezing your glutes as you go up and down an inch. Next, hold in a plié and pulse. You should feel it in your quadriceps.

SECOND POSITION

For second position, step out wide with your toes pointed at a 10 and 2 o’clock position. Again, you can rise to the balls of your feet for more intensity. Slowly bend and straighten your knees. Make sure you’re not sticking out your booty and your knees stay over your toes.

PARALLEL POSITION

Stand with your feet facing forward and stacked under your hips (knees should be a fist distance apart from one another). Do a soft bend in your knees and rise up to the balls of your feet. As you plié, push in your belly button to your spine. Lower knees until the top of your thigh muscles are engaged and pulse.

Most importantly, have fun! Little movements in barre equals big changes for your whole body. And be sure to check out Burlington’s entire assortment of activewear priced right at up to 65% off other retailers’ prices every day.