By: Fatima Zahra Mallick
Looking to try a barre workout class for the first time but not sure what to expect? Fatima Zahra Mallick has shared a beginner’s guide to the barre workout which will help in reducing body fat, increasing muscle definition and importantly, through improving your overall posture.
Barre offers an effective total body barre workout focused on low-impact, high intensity movements that lift and tone muscles to improve strength, agility and flexibility for everybody. The isometric moves and ballet leg lifts might look deceptively easy but they fire up the muscles in a way that conventional compound exercises never do.
1. Arabesque Standing Side leg lifts
Super easy but effective! This move works your derriere, muffin top and legs! Keep your torso and hips still. Now gently tilt forward and extend the top leg back at a diagonal angle, lifting your arm up as you do so. Now lower the leg and arm with control and precision. Repeat. Think like a ballerina, keep the toes pointed and body elongated at all times.
2.Arabesque Fire Hydrant:
Lift one leg sideways to create a perfect 90-degree angle. Keep the knee bent and gently lean forward. Now lift and lower with control to obliterate those saddle bags
3. Pile Pulses
Place your feet wider than shoulder width and come onto your toes. Go as low into the squat as you can, making sure to keep your knees above your toes. Keep you back straight, and core tight. Now pulse one inch up and down. Keep going for 30 seconds to one minute. Feel the burn!
4. Elevated Side plank
Stack both feet on top of the chair, arm directly underneath the shoulder and body parallel to the floor. Now lift up to a side plank. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Gently lift and lower the hop to increase the burn. Now repeat on the other side.
