Barre-d

Yesterday I went to my first barre class and oh my god was it hard.  I had high expectations - ballet dancers are in insanely good shape and I'd been warned by multiple people to expect a tough class - but this class far surpassed it.  I may not be in the shape I used to be in, but I think I'm still in decent shape and I had a hard time getting through the class without taking any breaks.  It's definitely not a class I could take every day.

The class was a mix of ballet, pilates (not that I've ever taken a pilates class, but this is what some other ladies said), and yoga.  I recognized some of the poses from various yoga and ballet classes I've taken over the years, but the sequence they were in was totally new.  We used hand weights for a lot of the arm workouts and I managed to get a good workout in using only 1 pound weights.  Yes, 1 pound.  I was surprised too.  The class alternated between arm, core, and leg workouts, often incorporating multiple muscle groups in to single exercises.

The studio, Barre3, is a great space in Georgetown.  It has somewhat of a rustic look, with stone pillars and exposed wood beams in the ceiling, but has the traditional wood floors, mirrored walls, and barres of a ballet studio.  It was a welcoming space with a large area in back for storing your stuff and changing.  They also had a childcare area.  If you're looking to check out a barre method class I would definitely recommend this studio.  The $25 per class fee is a bit steep, but they run a lot of specials.  I was able attend a special class for only $10.