Movement is an extremely important part of everyday life. It benefits a person’s health, allows them to release endorphins, and boosts their self- esteem. My life would not be the same if physical activity was not included in it. Every day I feel like my best, happiest, and healthiest self when I move. I’m a runner and run for NDP’s track teams, which means that I have practice almost every day of the week. While I love running, over the past couple of weeks I had started to notice that the only physical activity that I was partaking in is running. I always want to be learning and growing in all aspects of my life, including the way I move. Recently, I decided to try a barre class, which is a ballet-based workout that includes holding on to a chair or bar for balance and wanted to share my experience with all of my fellow NDP sisters.

To be honest, my first impression of the class was that it was going to be very easy to complete. I watched the video of the class I was going to take beforehand, and it didn’t look to difficult. Just like all workouts, it started with a warmup that consisted of multiple stretches that targeted the calves, legs, neck, and back. After the warmup the workout began immediately. The first part of the workout was full of exercises that needed to be done with the support of a bar or chair. I used a chair to support myself and was excited to be able to hold on to something. Balance is not my strong point. The first exercise was a plie squat, which was not difficult, except for the part that you had to be pointing your feet outwards the entire time. While doing the squat you are supposed to gracefully lower your arms as you come down and gracefully raise them back up. The second exercise was a leg raise with a pointed toe. I underestimated how much this would burn. Keeping your toes pointed while lifting them straight up in the air and lowering them back down, while keeping your hands in a controlled motion, requires a lot more strength than it seems. Muscles that I have never worked were being used while I repeated this motion and it 100 percent challenged me. The rest of the workout consisted of similar exercises, such as pointed toe pulses, side pointed toe raises, and plie jump squats. At the end of the class, I was drenched in sweat and felt tired.

My final thoughts on the barre class was that it was a nice change of pace from the everyday running that I partake in and that it was fun to be a “ballerina” for thirty minutes. If you’re looking for a new type of physical activity to try, I highly recommend a barre class.