Last week I started taking classes at Sculpt Barre. As you may know, for the month of March I have given myself a personal challenge to find a workout that I love. Given that I did ballet for 8 years growing up, I was hopeful that I would hit the jackpot with this one.Arriving at the studio, I was greeted by the receptionist and the instructor. They were both very welcoming, answered my questions, made sure I got a tour of their studio and had some sticky socks for class.

The instructor asked if I had done Barre before and was great at checking that I was keeping up and had proper alignment. The class size was small (4-5 people) which made it even more comfortable when trying something new. You could stretch out without worrying about wacking someone in the face. It also meant that the instructor could see how you were doing with each move.

A great thing about Barre is that no matter your experience with fitness, you can do this class. You use your body’s limitations to create a workout and to push that flexibility. A lot of it is mind over matter. Your body will shake from the isolated movements, but that is where the improvement in your body stems from .

I find it kind of funny how excited I get to go to class, how frustrated I can feel while shaking in a pose and then how empowered I feel afterwards. It is a bit of a roller coaster but in the best way possible.

I have noticed a general improvement in my mood since starting these classes as well. I sleep better, am more focused and feel great physically. I look at the tone in the instructors arms and I want those same arms! They obviously spend a lot of time doing barre, but hopefully if I stick with it I too will have amazingly toned arms.

The availability of these classes is another great element to this studio. You can sign up much like a drop in schedule, so it can really fit in with your possibly ever changing schedule or if you want to pick up an extra class once in a while.

I am going to continue to go to barre and enjoy the positive attributes that it has brought to my day to day life. If you are interested in giving it a go, Edmonton’s Sculpt Barre South (in Windermere) is hosting free classes to anyone who hasn’t tried it before on Friday (April 1st).

If you’ve tried barre or are an avid barre-ista I want to hear what you love about it! Leave a comment and we can chat about it 🙂