If you’re new to exercise or getting back into training, you don’t need to go to fancy classes or invest in expensive equipment.
There’s a simple ballet-inspired workout that you can try at home—for free.
Barre is a style of movement that can help you build strength, improve your posture and work on your mobility.
It combines ballet with yoga and Pilates, and it’s surprisingly beginner-friendly.
Barre instructor Tara Riley always starts her classes off with some movement at the ballet bar.
“It’s good for warming up your ankles, knees and legs,” she explains.
You can easily recreate a ballet bar at home by holding onto something solid, like a door frame, kitchen counter or just a wall.
Below, Riley has shared the three standing barre exercises she recommends for beginners.
They will help you strengthen important lower-body muscles that can support upright posture and balance.
Try Tara Riley’s three-move barre workout for beginners.
The moves:
Riley suggests following this pattern when doing the exercises:
- One set of heel raises.
- Then one set of heel raises and one set of pliés.
- Finish with one set of heel raises, one set of pliés and one set of plié taps.
Barre tests your muscles’ endurance by encouraging you to repeat exercises several times.
However, if you find yourself struggling to complete an exercise with the correct form, opt for fewer repetitions.
Here’s how to do each move.
1. Heel raise
Reps: 16
- Stand with your heels together and your toes pointing out. This is known as first position in ballet.
- Hold on to a surface for support.
- Lift your heels an inch off the floor, then slowly place them back down.
- Complete 16 repetitions.
2. Plié
Reps: 16
- Stand with your heels together and your toes pointing out.
- Engage the core by tucking in your ribs and your buttocks.
- Bend at the knees, sending them out to the sides until they reach over your toes. Keep your torso straight and upright, and heels flat on the floor.
- Lift back up to a standing position.
- Complete 16 repetitions.
3. Plié tap
Reps: 16 (8 each side)
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your toes facing outwards. This is known as second position in ballet.
- Bend your knees until they’re over your toes, keeping your torso upright.
- Straighten your knees to stand and reach your right arm overhead to the left, while also straightening your right leg out to the side and tapping your foot on the floor.
- Come back into second position and repeat on the other side.
- Complete 16 repetitions (eight on each side).