Move
FINALLY, A WORKOUT THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
One of the first things you’ll notice when you take a B3 studio class is that there’s absolutely nothing cookie-cutter about it. Not only is there diversity among the people in the room, there’s also diversity in how each person changes postures to suit their individual bodies. We call these changes modifications, and they’re the magic behind our workout.
If you’re accustomed to exercise classes that push everyone to do the exact same thing, the option to modify can feel hugely refreshing—and totally foreign. There’s no forcing your body to do things that don’t serve it, and there’s no feeling like a failure when you choose to make a posture your own. There is just listening to your body, getting a workout like you’ve never had before, and serious, lasting results.
So what exactly are modifications—and how do you know when to take them? Let’s dig into the details.
WHAT ARE MODIFICATIONS?
Simply put, modifications allow you to adjust each and every barre3 posture to suit your body’s needs. If a posture feels great and challenging in its original form, wonderful—go to your edge! If it causes pain in your joints or discomfort to areas of the body that should feel ease in the posture, it’s time to modify. Our instructors will show you options for how to shift the posture to suit your body’s needs or how to substitute another posture that will get you just as deep into your muscles.
DOES MODIFYING A POSTURE MEAN I’M WIMPING OUT?
Absolutely not! We cannot stress this enough: Modifying a posture can give you better results. How? Because it ensures that your body is in proper alignment and your muscles are firing as they should. It also prevents you from pushing through pain—an old-school approach that only worsens the problem. Let’s use Plank as an example. If you take Plank on the floor and you feel your neck and shoulders aching and your lower back tensing up, then you’ll lose engagement in the core, and the posture becomes both painful and ineffective. By coming down to your knees or doing Plank at the barre instead, you’ll allowing your entire core, including all the muscles that support your trunk, to engage—all without any pain. In short, modifying allows you to get the intended benefits of the posture, and that’s what you need to get results.
It’s also important to remember that no two bodies are the same. Maybe your neighbor in class goes extra-deep in Horse Pose, but you find that your hip alignment makes it uncomfortable. No problem! Take Sumo Pose instead. You’ll both get muscle-building shakes that deliver results.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I SHOULD MODIFY A POSTURE?
Four words: Listen to your body. Do you feel negative pain? Does your body feel out of balance? Are the muscles the move is targeting not engaging? Are you recovering from an injury and not feeling your strongest? Did you just get over a virus and still don’t have your full energy back? These are all signs that the posture is not ideal for your body today. Maybe it felt fine yesterday, and maybe you’ll love it tomorrow. That’s great—but this moment right now is the only one you should pay attention to. Encourage yourself to listen to what your body is telling you right now, and modify accordingly.
Another thing to pay attention to is your breathing. If you find that you’re holding your breath during a posture, then you’re holding tension in your body—and that will hold you back from getting the most out of it. Remind yourself to breathe, and if you still feel tension, consider modifying the posture.
Finally, if you do B3 every day, you’ll likely want to modify often. Our bodies feel different day to day, and it’s good to explore new layers within each posture on a regular basis in order to break plateaus.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MODIFYING?
There are so many! The most obvious benefit is that you will get results—without the pain. (If you’ve ever “pushed past the pain” in a workout and paid for it later, you know how important this is.) Another major benefit of modifying is that you’ll be more likely to stick to your workout routine. If a workout is painful, it can create stress and inflammation in the body. You’ll come to dread it—and eventually ditch it altogether. But when you allow yourself to modify your workout to your body’s needs, exercise becomes fun and freeing. Modifying also helps us find the balance of ease and effort when working out—and this is what makes a workout sustainable.
Those are all huge positives, but there’s an even more important benefit to modifying: body wisdom. As you’ve probably heard your instructor say, you are your own best teacher. Our instructors are trained to help you find alignment and balance, but ultimately, only you know how your body feels on any given day. It’s up to you to listen to that and modify accordingly. Once you develop body wisdom in exercise, it will extend into so many other areas of your life. You’ll find that you start craving foods that fuel you instead of deplete your energy. You’ll build in time for plenty of sleep so your body can replenish itself the way it needs to. You’ll make time for self-care rather than push yourself to the point of depletion. In other words, you’ll feel empowered to look for answers within—and that’s the true power of barre3.
The best way to feel the power of modifications? Try them in a barre3 class. Find your local studio or get started with 15 days free of barre3 online.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you take a B3 studio class is that there’s absolutely nothing cookie-cutter about it. Not only is there diversity among the people in the room, there’s also diversity in how each person changes postures to suit their individual bodies. We call these changes modifications, and they’re the magic behind our workout.
If you’re accustomed to exercise classes that push everyone to do the exact same thing, the option to modify can feel hugely refreshing—and totally foreign. There’s no forcing your body to do things that don’t serve it, and there’s no feeling like a failure when you choose to make a posture your own. There is just listening to your body, getting a workout like you’ve never had before, and serious, lasting results.
So what exactly are modifications—and how do you know when to take them? Let’s dig into the details.
WHAT ARE MODIFICATIONS?
Simply put, modifications allow you to adjust each and every barre3 posture to suit your body’s needs. If a posture feels great and challenging in its original form, wonderful—go to your edge! If it causes pain in your joints or discomfort to areas of the body that should feel ease in the posture, it’s time to modify. Our instructors will show you options for how to shift the posture to suit your body’s needs or how to substitute another posture that will get you just as deep into your muscles.
DOES MODIFYING A POSTURE MEAN I’M WIMPING OUT?
Absolutely not! We cannot stress this enough: Modifying a posture can give you better results. How? Because it ensures that your body is in proper alignment and your muscles are firing as they should. It also prevents you from pushing through pain—an old-school approach that only worsens the problem. Let’s use Plank as an example. If you take Plank on the floor and you feel your neck and shoulders aching and your lower back tensing up, then you’ll lose engagement in the core, and the posture becomes both painful and ineffective. By coming down to your knees or doing Plank at the barre instead, you’ll allowing your entire core, including all the muscles that support your trunk, to engage—all without any pain. In short, modifying allows you to get the intended benefits of the posture, and that’s what you need to get results.
It’s also important to remember that no two bodies are the same. Maybe your neighbor in class goes extra-deep in Horse Pose, but you find that your hip alignment makes it uncomfortable. No problem! Take Sumo Pose instead. You’ll both get muscle-building shakes that deliver results.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I SHOULD MODIFY A POSTURE?
Four words: Listen to your body. Do you feel negative pain? Does your body feel out of balance? Are the muscles the move is targeting not engaging? Are you recovering from an injury and not feeling your strongest? Did you just get over a virus and still don’t have your full energy back? These are all signs that the posture is not ideal for your body today. Maybe it felt fine yesterday, and maybe you’ll love it tomorrow. That’s great—but this moment right now is the only one you should pay attention to. Encourage yourself to listen to what your body is telling you right now, and modify accordingly.
Another thing to pay attention to is your breathing. If you find that you’re holding your breath during a posture, then you’re holding tension in your body—and that will hold you back from getting the most out of it. Remind yourself to breathe, and if you still feel tension, consider modifying the posture.
Finally, if you do B3 every day, you’ll likely want to modify often. Our bodies feel different day to day, and it’s good to explore new layers within each posture on a regular basis in order to break plateaus.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MODIFYING?
There are so many! The most obvious benefit is that you will get results—without the pain. (If you’ve ever “pushed past the pain” in a workout and paid for it later, you know how important this is.) Another major benefit of modifying is that you’ll be more likely to stick to your workout routine. If a workout is painful, it can create stress and inflammation in the body. You’ll come to dread it—and eventually ditch it altogether. But when you allow yourself to modify your workout to your body’s needs, exercise becomes fun and freeing. Modifying also helps us find the balance of ease and effort when working out—and this is what makes a workout sustainable.
Those are all huge positives, but there’s an even more important benefit to modifying: body wisdom. As you’ve probably heard your instructor say, you are your own best teacher. Our instructors are trained to help you find alignment and balance, but ultimately, only you know how your body feels on any given day. It’s up to you to listen to that and modify accordingly. Once you develop body wisdom in exercise, it will extend into so many other areas of your life. You’ll find that you start craving foods that fuel you instead of deplete your energy. You’ll build in time for plenty of sleep so your body can replenish itself the way it needs to. You’ll make time for self-care rather than push yourself to the point of depletion. In other words, you’ll feel empowered to look for answers within—and that’s the true power of barre3.
The best way to feel the power of modifications? Try them in a barre3 class. Find your local studio or get started with 15 days free of barre3 online.
