6 Best Barre Workouts to Do at Home

Barre workout gets its name from the use of a ballet barre during class (Image via Pexels/Budgeron Bach)
Barre workout gets its name from the use of a ballet barre during class (Image via Pexels/Budgeron Bach)

Barre workouts at home is a terrific choice if you're looking for a fun, low-impact workout that will help you strengthen and tone your entire body. Since several of the specialized exercises are ballet-inspired, Barre gets its name from the use of a ballet barre during class.

While barre classes may appear to be something you can only do in a gym — where a ballet barre is literally attached to the wall — you can absolutely do them in your living room.

Small, isolated, low-impact ballet bare at home movements drawn from dance, yoga, and Pilates are used to strengthen specific sections of your body, such as your arms, core, glutes, and legs, in ballet-based fitness. Despite the small pulses and pliés, they cause a significant burn.


Raise the bar with barre workouts at home

Here are a few barre workouts to help you connect with your body and breathe. All you need is a chair or a barre-like structure to help you support yourself.

1) Horse pose

Horse pose. (Image credits: Freepik/ Yanalya)
Horse pose. (Image credits: Freepik/ Yanalya)

This beautiful horse stance exercise, inspired by ballet, targets your inner and outer thighs, as well as your outer seat muscles. It is a great inclusion in your barre workouts. Here are the steps to do the horse pose:

  • Step out of the chair and point your toes at 2 and 10 o'clock.
  • Kneel and slide down a fictitious wall.
  • Engage your core and stack shoulders over your hips.
  • Hold on for 5 deep breaths.

2) Power leg

Don't be deceived by the posture's simplicity. The burn will be felt in your quads. This exercise should be included in your barre workouts.

Follow the below given steps to ace the power leg posture:

  • Lift heels, bend knees, and hold while facing the chair.
  • Keep your knees in line with the middle of your toes by pressing equally through all ten toes. Maintain a level and square hip position, as well as a firm core.
  • Relax your shoulders down your back after lengthening your spine. Bend your knees until you reach a difficult position.
  • Lift the hips one inch, then return to the starting position.

3) Carousel horse

Carousel horse pose. (Image credits: Freepik)
Carousel horse pose. (Image credits: Freepik)

This simple action successfully trains a number of lower-body muscles, and it's a wonderful balance challenge for strengthening your core and reinforcing excellent posture. This posture is ideal for barre workouts.

Follow these steps to do the carousel horse properly:

  • Place your palms on the chair and stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart.
  • Step back with your right foot, slightly bend both knees into a lunge, and hold.
  • While the left knee is stacked directly over the ankle, the right knee bends towards the floor and stays under your hip.
  • Press the ball of your left foot and the ball of your right foot evenly into the floor. Keep your hips square and level, your core engaged, and your shoulders stacked over your hips.
  • Take 5 deep breaths and hold them.

4) Narrow V

The entire leg, especially the inner and outer thighs, is shaped by this stance. You should definitely include this in your barre workouts.

Here are the steps to do the Narrow V also known as the heron pose correctly:

  • Draw your heels together and turn your legs out into a narrow "V" shape with your toes about 4 inches apart.
  • Bend knees into a narrow plie while keeping shoulders stacked over hips.
  • Come onto the balls of your feet by pressing your heels tightly together and hovering them slightly off the floor.
  • For a balanced challenge, rest one hand on the chair or put palms together in a prayer position.
  • Take 5 deep breaths and hold them.

5) Standing thigh work

Standing thigh work. (Image credits: Freepik)
Standing thigh work. (Image credits: Freepik)

This motion will primarily target your thighs, but it will also activate your core and provide a chance to test your balance. It is one of the most efficient barre workouts.

You can substitute the back of a chair, a tabletop, or a wall for a barre. Follow the below given steps to make the standing thigh work properly:

  • Place your hands on your hips and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Flex your feet and extend your left leg straight in front of you at hip height. To avoid entirely straightening your leg, maintain a gentle bend in your right knee.
  • Lower your left leg to the ground and slowly raise it back up. Rep five more times.
  • Raise your outstretched leg to hip height, then bend it slightly before straightening it. Rep 10 times more.
  • For 20 seconds, keep the leg straight and steady.
  • Repeat on the opposite side.

6) Parallel thigh side taps

Try parallel thigh-side taps to target your inner thighs and quads while including some ballet-inspired moves. This is one of the best exercises to be included in barre workouts.

Follow these steps to do the parallel thigh side taps properly:

  • Hold on to the barre (or barre replacement) with your left side for balance.
  • Maintain a "plie" by keeping your feet together and floating your heels up to tip toes.
  • Return to the center by tapping the outside leg out to the side.
  • Rep 8-10 times more.
  • Rep steps two through four on the other side, standing with your right side facing the barre.
Edited by Diptanil
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