No Time for a Full Workout? No Problem.
If you’ve ever been tempted to write off exercise just because you can’t fit a 60-minute workout in, think again. A new research study shows that short bursts of exercise can play an important role in your long-term health.
For inspo on how to work little bits of barre3 in throughout your day, we turned to our trainers. Here, they share four great moves you can work into your daily routine to help you get moving beyond your workout.
ANDREW ASH, MASTER TRAINER:
I’m a huge fan of side lunges. Since the weather in Portland has been so nice lately, I’ve been finding myself at the track and field next to my apartment a lot. After running a mile or so, I take some time to do a little B3, and I always incorporate side lunges. They’re a great way to target your glutes and inner-thigh muscles. We tend to forget about strengthening our inner thighs, and I always have to remind myself that these muscles help with stability and injury prevention for my lower back, hips, and knees. Whether I do 16 reps or 32, I always feel my glutes and inner thighs burn the next day.
SARA CATHERINE WHEATLEY, FRANCHISE MASTER TRAINER:
While I am out and about during my day, I love to test out all the core-stability work we do in B3. When I am at the grocery store, I try to keep my spine neutral and my abs engaged as I reach and stoop for grocery items on the shelves—especially when I have to lift up on my tippy-toes. When I’m working at the coffee shop, I try to sit with a long, straight, neutral spine and feel how my whole trunk is supported by my core muscles. And when I’m shifting gears in my car, I try to move my feet and keep my pelvis stable and more of my core engaged. I know it may seem silly, but that really is the point of all of our exercises. They retrain your brain to keep your body safe and super efficient outside the studio walls.
LISA SCHALE-DRAKE, MASTER TRAINER:
I’m a big fan of squats because a squat is an action you do every day. When I help my kids clean up or I’m working in the yard, I always use the time as an opportunity to practice my B3 squat. It’s functional, full-body strength—especially when I’m lifting something heavy—and it helps protect my back for years to come.
CATIE FAHRNER, MASTER TRAINER:
I love crescent lunge! It’s a stretch we use to open the hips, and when you’re in this hold, all of the muscles surrounding the hips warm up—the glutes, hamstrings, and abs. Plus, our spine is long and strong in this pose and the middle back postural muscles wake up, so it encourages overall healthy posture. And it just feels good, so it makes me happy. I do crescent lunge if I’ve been sitting for too long at my laptop, like when I’m editing a lot of training videos, and when I travel. I’ve found that this stretch is an easy one to do for 30 seconds on each side at the back of an airplane or at an airport. I pair it with some sort of chest and shoulder opener. If time permits, then I’ll bend and lengthen the back knee to encourage more heat in my body, more opening of my hip and more of my core lighting up.
Shared from our friends at barre3 - delivering a full body workout using only low-impact movements.