With the plethora of workout classes available for you take, it's easy to get confused about the best one to try, especially with new ones being launched left and right. Thankfully, there are two tried-and-tested workout methods that you can put your trust in: yoga and Barre.
However, since both of them have many similar elements, how do you choose which one is right for you? Read on to find out more about yoga and Barre.
Yes to Yoga?
The first recordings of yoga date back to somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago in India. While it may be an ancient art, yoga is still widely practiced all over the world. This is because it is more than a simple exercise. It is deeply rooted in meditation, seeking to bring balance to the mind, body, and soul.
This meditation-based workout cultivates balance by combining various physical postures or positions, breathing exercises, and relaxation in a harmonious routine. By completing a yoga workout, you can expect to reap a myriad of benefits — like improved balance and flexibility, enhanced blood flow, and more muscle strength. On top of this, it also provides benefits for your mental wellbeing, too. Parsley Health CEO Robin Berzin shares how practicing yoga helps clear her mind, as it reminds her of her value and purpose in life. Yoga not only helps you stay grounded, but it also has the ability to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system, the immune system, and the digestive tract.
Moreover, researchers from Harvard University point out that the elements of this low-impact exercise can help tame your response to stress, and it's also a natural treatment for both anxiety and depression. While yoga wasn't necessarily designed to target these issues, the benefits are merely a bonus that you get from a regular yoga practice.
But Wait, What’s Barre?
Although very young compared to yoga, Barre has a beautiful history behind it. Back in 1959, a ballerina named Lotte Berk was recovering from an injury when she realized she could combine her ballet barre routines with her physical therapy to build a new fitness method.
Nowadays, Barre is becoming more and more popular by the day, thanks to its exciting fusion of ballet-inspired movements, yoga teachings, and Pilates. Plus, many instructors like to be creative with it, as they can incorporate fun aerobic elements in their workouts.
In a Barre workout, there are two primary forms of equipment: a dancer's barre and a mat. With these, participants are led through exercises that are mostly focused on strengthening and sculpting the leg region, though enhancing the arm and abs area is an important factor in the performance as well. Apart from toning your muscles and helping your body look lean, Barre boasts many powerful benefits that Sarah Sanders has shared here on the site. While Barre is celebrated for its impact on the legs, it also works and strengthens all major muscle groups since isometric and isotonic exercises are balanced out. And despite being the last exercise in a class, the stretching performed not only makes you more flexible, but it also loosens your muscles to avoid any injury.
The benefits of Barre don't end there. Byrdie's resident writer Chloe Burcham reveals that Barre is also a mental exercise since every movement calls you to be mindful and focused throughout the class. In turn, your stress levels are greatly reduced, and you'll end the workout feeling more relaxed.
The Verdict
Participating in yoga and Barre classes are wonderful ways to fortify your body and mind. If you're looking to vastly enhance your flexibility, a deeper sense of relaxation, and a more low-impact workout, yoga is the exercise for you. However, if you're after a workout that will tone your muscles, focus on cardio movements, and challenge you in a more lively way, then Barre is the one for you.