When I learned there would be a Pure Barre studio opening a short ride away, I knew it was finally time to give in to the craze. After consulting a few of you on Twitter, I took the plunge and purchased their opening special for a month of unlimited sessions. I am only a few days into my package, but I am happy to report that I am still in one {sore} piece. As a newbie, I wanted to share a few of my takeaways for surviving your first few barre classes.
1) Don’t come without socks. If you’re willing, ante up a few dollars to buy their “sticky” socks. As a less than graceful person, the grips made me feel sure-footed and a bit more confident walking into my first class.
2) Everyone is going to SHAKE during a few of the exercises. No one is immune. It is proof the exercises are working. Even though I have strong{er} legs as a runner, I still shake a lot.
3) Don’t be intimidated. There will be seasoned veterans in your class, but there are sure to be new students as well. I struggle a lot with my upper body strength and my flexibility. I’m hoping barre classes will help with both of those things. I learned very quickly that there are others more skilled at this than me — and I’m okay with it. I will get there eventually.
4) If you can’t make it through an exercise, don’t be afraid to readjust. You can catch back up. It takes time to get the hang of the movements! The instructors may say differently, but I’m of the opinion that you can’t build Rome in a day–or master barre in your first try.
For barre veterans, what other advice would you give to newbies like me?
I’ll be sure to give an update at the end of my unlimited month. I doubt I can continue at the unlimited rate when next month rolls around, but I can certainly see the value in barre — even after only a few classes! Many thanks to those of you who convinced me to try it!
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