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The type of exercises done in barre aren’t the only thing that makes this method such an effective technique. There’s a psychological component as well.
We set you up for success. The most frequently cited barrier to exercising is time. Motivation and a lack of confidence in our own knowledge and abilities to exercise are a close second. When you take a barre class, your instructor will align your form from head to toe, so you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Knowing what you're supposed to be doing before you get too far into the exercise builds confidence in your own abilities, which in turn increases your motivation for exercise.
Because it's fun! It's not rocket science, we like to do things we enjoy. Have you ever been on the treadmill, channeling your inner hamster, and left the gym never to return again for weeks if not months or years? We are hard-wired to avoid activities that are aversive, and to pursue those that are reinforcing. In barre class, your instructors provide only positive encouragement for you, and will have you laughing, smiling, AND sweating. This positive affective response during exercise predicts a greater likelihood of maintaining exercise for at least 6-12 months, and shapes your future attitude towards a more positive exercise orientation, making the decision to exercise less aversive.
Strength in numbers. As humans we have an innate need to seek interpersonal connection. Looking across the evidence, social support positively influences exercise directly and indirectly. Directly, a good barre teacher cheers you on, can be your accountability buddy, helping you set goals, etc. Indirectly, support from others helps to foster your overall enjoyment for exercise (working out with your friends is fun!), your confidence in your own ability to exercise and your attitude towards exercise.
Social engagement without the social comparison. The science says that removing the objectifying nature of exercise classes improves your overall enjoyment of the class, your self-compassion, state mindfulness, intrinsic reasons for exercising (e.g. because you enjoy it), and your likelihood of maintaining exercise. A health-focused, non-objectifying environment decreases body image anxiety, self-objectification, and increases your ability to maintain good postural alignment outside of an exercise class.
Mental fortitude. Within a positive psychology framework, you will develop the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, close cousins are self-control, and conscientiousness. These predict our happiness, quality of life, job success, relationship satisfaction, and health behaviors. Evidence suggests these "trait-like" features, are actually more like muscles, muscles that can be strengthened and fatigued. One way to flex your self-control muscles, is to adhere to a regular exercise regimen. Some studies show that participation in any exercise regimen can increase self-control and executive function, and that self-control can have cross-cutting improvements in your ability to exert control over other hard to maintain behaviors. Other studies show that mental exercises which test your perseverance (i.e how long you can go before you back out) increase your overall self-control. Barre classes are a winning combination of both kinds of evidence.
Keeping you on your toes. Very rarely will you take the same barre class twice. Boredom with exercise will reduce your motivation to keep exercising, and can result in plateaus in your fitness. One day it might be plies and releve, and the next you might be hanging out with mermaids on waterskis. This spicy variety helps to foster your positive enjoyment of classes week after week, and makes sure you're listening!
Performance-enhancing playlists. Music and movement are beautifully intertwined within our brains. Our neural circuitry is set-up to respond to music with movement, and in general, enjoyment. When your brain is trying to focus on tired, fatiguing muscles, music competes for your brain's conscious focus, and while it doesn't change the fatigue itself, it has the power to alter your perception of and response to the fatigue to increase your confidence, perseverance, and motivation. Our playlists consist of songs with a 120-125 bpm which humans have an innate preference for! How cool!
Article excerpted from Barre & Soul instructor training at www.barresoul.com
Wanna join the movement and see what everyone's been raving about? Hop into one of our small, beginner-friendly barre fitness classes and discover a workout that will blow your mind, tone your body, and make you shine from the inside out!
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