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HOW BARRE3 HELPS STRENGTHEN THE PELVIC FLOOR
We know that the idea of strengthening your pelvic floor is probably not what brings you through our doors, but it’s a major benefit—and not just for new moms. “Men and women both have a pelvic floor, and it’s a key player in stabilizing their cores,” notes barre3 Lead Instructor Catie Fahrner. “Yet, just like any other muscle in the body, it has a tendency to be weak or imbalanced and struggles to do its job properly.”
A weak pelvic floor can cause discomfort and even incontinence during everyday activities like laughing, running, and jumping. At barre3, we focus on strengthening these muscles. Our workout helps you build strength through your entire midsection, which supports your spine and pelvis. Here’s how.
We work your core from every angle
Think of your core as a canister: The top is your diaphragm and the bottom is your pelvic floor. The core encompasses everything—not just your abs—in between. To get stronger, you have to train it all together, holistically, which is what we do throughout every barre3 class.
We focus on your breath
Connecting your breath to your movements naturally helps activate the pelvic muscles and sync everything up in your core. When you breathe in, the pressure from the inhale lowers your pelvic floor. As you exhale, it lifts up.
We don’t grip—we squeeze
The inner thighs are a gateway to your deep core muscles. So any time you put a barre3 ball in between your thighs, it automatically engages your pelvic floor. When you’re performing Bridge Lifts, for example, it’s easy to just grip your glutes. The second you start squeezing a ball with your inner thighs, that focus transfers to your pelvic floor, which supports your entire core.
We give you cues you can use
How we cue your core and inner thigh work in class will help activate (and thereby, strengthen) your pelvic floor. These cues can be as simple as reminding you to squeeze your inner thighs, or to press into your feet and feel your inner thighs lift (like an elevator lifting) when you rise up from Sumo Squat.
We support you
At barre3, we believe in being kind to our bodies and giving them the space to tell us what they need. You need to give yourself time to heal after giving birth or sustaining an injury, but once the doctor approves working out, we’re here to support you. We have lots of modifications that will help you avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your pelvic floor. The most important thing is to listen to your body, try to rebuild everything together, and remember—you can’t have a strong core without a strong pelvic floor.
Ready to experience this key benefit of barre3? Book a class today in studio or sign up for a 15-day, free trial of barre3 online workouts.
We know that the idea of strengthening your pelvic floor is probably not what brings you through our doors, but it’s a major benefit—and not just for new moms. “Men and women both have a pelvic floor, and it’s a key player in stabilizing their cores,” notes barre3 Lead Instructor Catie Fahrner. “Yet, just like any other muscle in the body, it has a tendency to be weak or imbalanced and struggles to do its job properly.”
A weak pelvic floor can cause discomfort and even incontinence during everyday activities like laughing, running, and jumping. At barre3, we focus on strengthening these muscles. Our workout helps you build strength through your entire midsection, which supports your spine and pelvis. Here’s how.
We work your core from every angle
Think of your core as a canister: The top is your diaphragm and the bottom is your pelvic floor. The core encompasses everything—not just your abs—in between. To get stronger, you have to train it all together, holistically, which is what we do throughout every barre3 class.
We focus on your breath
Connecting your breath to your movements naturally helps activate the pelvic muscles and sync everything up in your core. When you breathe in, the pressure from the inhale lowers your pelvic floor. As you exhale, it lifts up.
We don’t grip—we squeeze
The inner thighs are a gateway to your deep core muscles. So any time you put a barre3 ball in between your thighs, it automatically engages your pelvic floor. When you’re performing Bridge Lifts, for example, it’s easy to just grip your glutes. The second you start squeezing a ball with your inner thighs, that focus transfers to your pelvic floor, which supports your entire core.
We give you cues you can use
How we cue your core and inner thigh work in class will help activate (and thereby, strengthen) your pelvic floor. These cues can be as simple as reminding you to squeeze your inner thighs, or to press into your feet and feel your inner thighs lift (like an elevator lifting) when you rise up from Sumo Squat.
We support you
At barre3, we believe in being kind to our bodies and giving them the space to tell us what they need. You need to give yourself time to heal after giving birth or sustaining an injury, but once the doctor approves working out, we’re here to support you. We have lots of modifications that will help you avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your pelvic floor. The most important thing is to listen to your body, try to rebuild everything together, and remember—you can’t have a strong core without a strong pelvic floor.
Ready to experience this key benefit of barre3? Book a class today in studio or sign up for a 15-day, free trial of barre3 online workouts.
