No pain, no gain. Go hard, or go home. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Pain is weakness leaving the body.
Maybe you’ve heard these sayings before or even told yourself something like this to get motivated to exercise. Truthfully, these sayings don’t fire us up at barre3. They make us feel exhausted and a little bit intimidated. And we’re not alone. Studies show that for many of us, this extreme approach to fitness is likely to lead to burnout over the long term.
What if we told you that you don’t have to suffer and dread exercise to get the body you want and reach your fitness goals? By modifying postures and customizing the moves to your own needs, you won’t just get better results faster, you’ll have more fun and find the joy in your workout. Whether you’re taking class at one of our studios, online, on the mobile app, or you’re following along with a workout in Sadie’s book Love Your Lower Body, you’ll always have the option to tweak an exercise so that you’re getting a challenging, safe workout that’s appropriate for your body. Have knee pain? Work higher. Are you expecting or do you have abdominal separation? Avoid deep twists. Are you feeling so energized that you’re bouncing off the walls? Go lower. Maybe grab 3 lb. weights or add mountain climbers to your plank. Whether you need to dial it back or crank up the intensity, we’re all for it.
Fitness is not one-size-fits all. You are your own best advocate and teacher. Your studio owner’s and instructors’ job is to give you the tools to develop a deeper awareness of your body so that you can continue to break plateaus and build strength in the years to come. Being an advanced practitioner at barre3 isn’t about doing an exercise perfectly or holding a challenging pose longer than the person next to you at the barre, it’s about understanding your limitations and knowing how to push yourself to your personal edge.
If a posture or variation of movement doesn’t feel right or you’re looking for a bigger challenge, be sure to let your instructor know. If you don’t have a studio nearby, feel free to email us at onlinesupport@barre3.com and we’ll answer your questions. Either way, we’re here to offer modifications that are perfect for you whether you’re a turbo athlete, dealing with an injury, expecting, or haven’t exercised in years.
What are your favorite modifications to take? Let us know in the comments below!
