By Kristen Maloney
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
As Kayla Baines gently bends down, she reaches her right hand toward her toes, her left hand holds steady to the supporting wooden barre and her legs begin to quiver from exhaustion. Rising from her pose, a smile graces her face as she remembers how Barre helped her achieve her physical goals.
“Barre has gotten so popular in recent years because there are a lot of studios that are now franchises across the country,” said the Barre instructor at The Daily Method in Towson. “I think it just became very accessible and people love to try new things.”
In recent years, the Barre exercise program has become increasingly more popular as a group exercise program. This trend could be due to accessibility, word of mouth or the tangible results that people across the country have been attaining with this program. Whatever the reason, Barre is growing in the U.S. thanks to the positive mental and physical effects on participants.
“It’s a mixture of yoga, Pilates, ballet and sometimes even cardio,” Baines said. “Like Pilates, it brings toned and lean muscles, not big bulky ones you get from weightlifting.”
Women and men from all over the country are drawn to this group exercise activity. With its effective results and positive atmosphere Barre is more than just a workout, it’s a support system.
“People are drawn to Barre from its friendly, feminine advertising and the small studio feel where everybody knows your name,” said Lara Wittstadt, coach and owner of Barrevolution in Lutherville. “Word of mouth by friends is huge to get more and more women in the door, and the results, both mental and physical, keep clients consistent.”
Barre has transformed in the past several years from a workout for ballerinas to the newest fad in the fitness world. As with any trend, this is partially, if not for the most part, due to the power of word of mouth.
“Providing training and educational classes to people who want to be Barre instructors is one of our most popular categories, especially in recent years,” said Samantha Hackbart, director of group fitness at the National Exercise Trainers Association. “I think people have been discovering it recently because of word of mouth from their friends or family.”
According to Kristen Frydenberg, senior Barretender at Pure Barre in Columbia, Barre is a revolutionary exercise program that helps people of all ages and backgrounds achieve physical wellness. While it’s an effective, powerful workout, it is not as physically demanding as other group exercise classes such as kickboxing or Crossfit.
“It’s a 55-minute workout and it’s very quick-paced,” Frydenberg said. “Everyone sets their own goals in the class. It’s not a competitive class or atmosphere at all.”
With no set pace and a pressure-free environment, Barre is quickly becoming a workout that is welcoming to all. Unlike other group exercise programs that are highly physically challenging, Barre lets every client decide their own level of intensity.
“It’s something everyone can do,” Baines said. “It’s an effective workout, but it’s not too much to handle. Everyone can go at their own pace and do what they are comfortable with. There’s no pressure from anyone else in the class or from the instructors to force them to keep going.”
While this program helps people lose weight every day, that is not what it is all about. The goal of the instructors and coaches is to make their clients into better, more confident people one plié at a time.
“In our studio, we always tell our clients to throw out the scale,” Frydenberg said. “It’s not about the number on the scale here. It’s about toning and sculpting your body for your own personal goals and results.”
The Barre exercise program has not always been as popular as it is today. According to Wittstadt, it all started in 1959 when Lotte Berk, a European dancer, opened The Lotte Berk Method, a Barre studio, in London which combined her ballet barre training with rehabilitative therapy from a previous back injury.
“Lydia Bach brought The Lotte Berk Method to the U.S. in 1971 and opened the first U.S. Barre studio in Manhattan,” Wittstadt said. “It was a huge success, and the rest is history.”
With all of the excellent physical results the Barre exercise program brings its clients such as toned, lean muscles, it also offers them positive mental results.
“Clients often emerge feeling cleansed, clear-headed and ready to take on the day ahead of them,” said Stacy Shapiro Feldman, associate publisher of marketing at Shape Magazine. “I hear about a lot of people taking a Barre class when they feel stressed. It helps them get their minds off the problems in their lives, then return to them with a new perspective.”
Whether it’s Barre’s positive effects on its clients’ mental wellness or its ability to improve their physical wellness a little more every class, people all over the country seem to be raising the bar on their workout plan and giving the class a try.
“I think that people are realizing its potential,” Feldman said. “I think, in the past, people were so wrapped up in exercises like kickboxing, Zumba, and running marathons, but now, or in recent years, I think people are giving it a shot and discovering that it really does work.”
While Barre’s group exercise method has several different, more delicate qualities from those of more intense workout classes, its strength conditioning and muscle building are equally as effective as in any other class.
“It’s definitely a workout for everyone to try,” Baines said. “I love that I don’t sweat a lot, but I’m still very sore for days afterwards. It’s a workout unlike any other.”
If the positive mental and physical results of participating in the Barre exercise program is not enough to make everyone want to run out and sign up for a class at their local studio, maybe the overflowing amount of support will. According to Frydenberg, Barre clients insist on supporting each other and pushing each other to reach their goals.
“I would definitely recommend that everyone take the class,” Frydenberg said. “It’s such a fun workout with so many up sides. The people here are so supportive and always want you to reach your goals.”
Although the Barre phenomenon has seemed to appear rather quickly and with influence, the class has successfully existed for over 50 years. While it has emerged as a fad in recent years, according to Feldman, it has the potential to survive past these few years of intense demand.
“It has been around for years already and I think it will be around for years to come,” Feldman said. “It might not continue to be as popular as it is now, but I’m sure it will continue to help people all over with their health and wellness.”
Whether it is due to its accessibility, supportive environment or the impressive results that people across the country have been experiencing while participating in the class, one thing is clear: Barre, in recent years, has become an increasing trend across the country that, in Wittstadt’s opinion, is here to stay.
“The results, the impact and the community feel of a small town studio setting are the three reasons I think it’s not only a trend, but here to stay as a fitness staple,” Wittstadt said.