Move
How Barre3 Boosts Your Mobility—And Why That Matters
The barre3 workout is known to deliver heart-revving cardio, muscle-burning strength-conditioning, grounding mindfulness, and body-balancing functional fitness. But did you know that it’s also designed to increase your mobility? We talked with Lisa Schale-Drake, barre3 VP of Research and Development, about why mobility matters and how every barre3 workout helps your body move with ease and freedom.
B3 MAG: Let’s start with the basics: Can you explain why mobility is important for a healthy, happy body?
LISA: Think of it this way: To become stronger and build your endurance, mobility is a crucial piece of that pie. Your muscles are designed to move your bones. Muscles can both stretch and contract. That is mobility. When you mobilize your muscles, you are better prepared to be able to take on resistance. It reduces unnecessary stress on the body and brings it back to a more balanced state, which helps reduce the risk of injury. Mobility can also help improve overall strength in the body by improving posture and range of motion when moving with resistance.
B3 MAG: Mobility is one of those things we often don’t appreciate until we lose it. What are some of the drawbacks of losing mobility in our bodies?
LISA: Number one is that you will feel a lack of range in your body. You won’t be able to twist as easily to grab something behind you, squat to pick up a bag, or lift a box over your head. Lack of mobility can lead to tension and even pain in the body, which can affect your ability to progress with your movement goals.
B3 MAG: Ok, let’s get into the barre3 workout. How does it help increase mobility?
LISA: Mobility is woven into every barre3 workout. We focus on three major aspects that help support overall mobility.
- Science-based warm-up. We use the first few minutes of the workout to heat and dynamically stretch the body. Dynamic stretches focus on moving the joints as they were designed to move, with the goal of increasing mobility in your muscles and activating them for the workout.
- Functional approach to movement. We design every workout to focus on the major ranges of motion the body can do. We squat, lunge, push, and pull in all directions. This helps reinforce mobility while building strength and endurance in your body.
- Static stretches. Holding a stretch is highly beneficial at the end of the workout. We integrate static stretches to address chronically tight areas of the body, which helps increase overall mobility.
B3 MAG: What advice would you offer to someone just starting barre3 who might be experiencing limited mobility?
LISA: First, listen to your body. It’s normal when focusing on mobility to feel the sensation of stretch and also the feeling of resistance on your body. However, if you feel negative pain in the movement, simply back off. Second, breathe through the movements. Breath is crucial to supporting the body, and it can also help the body open up and release. For example, in standing cat/cow (a dynamic stretch move designed to open and mobilize the spine), you want to inhale as you arch your back and exhale as you flex your spine. This will maximize the range of motion and allow you to move freely. Third, know that mobility is a journey. Some days, you will feel more open than others. Acknowledging where you are today is an important step and will allow you to get exactly what you need for that moment.
B3 MAG: What are some of your favorite barre3 moves for increasing mobility?
LISA: I have SO MANY, but here are my top three favorites. I specifically picked these because so many of us are sitting much more than we used to, and these moves help counter the damage this can cause.
- Windshield wipers. I love this mat-based move because it increases mobility in the hips and the spine. Simply lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet slightly wider than your hips. Allow your knees to fall to the right; as you do this, you’ll feel a gentle twist in your spine. Bring your knees through the center and let them fall to the left. Keep the movement slow, but continual.
- Wide Lunges. This is my favorite move for increasing mobility in the inner thighs and outer hips. Step your feet wide to the side, pointing them toward 1 and 11 o’clock on an imaginary clock. Hinge from your hips, and slightly incline your spine while maintaining a long back. From here, bend one knee at a time, right then left, being sure to keep you seat back and your knees over your ankles.
- Shoulder passes. Talk about a move that increases mobility in the shoulder joint wrapped up into one simple move! I not only do this move in barre3 classes, but also throughout my day when I’ve been sitting and working at my laptop for too long. Bring your arms to a low V next to your hips with your thumbs pointing forward, palms toward your body. Start to lift your arms toward shoulder height without allowing the elbows to bend or the ribcage to push forward. Continue lifting your arms until they reach a high V position above your head. Flip the palms at the top of the move, so the thumbs return forward and the palms are facing out, and circle your arms back to a low V position with your pinkies facing forward, palms out. Reverse the direction to complete 1 set of shoulder passes.
Ready to experience a feel-good workout that helps you move through your day with greater strength and ease? Find your local studio or get started with 15 days of at-home workouts, totally free.
The barre3 workout is known to deliver heart-revving cardio, muscle-burning strength-conditioning, grounding mindfulness, and body-balancing functional fitness. But did you know that it’s also designed to increase your mobility? We talked with Lisa Schale-Drake, barre3 VP of Research and Development, about why mobility matters and how every barre3 workout helps your body move with ease and freedom.
B3 MAG: Let’s start with the basics: Can you explain why mobility is important for a healthy, happy body?
LISA: Think of it this way: To become stronger and build your endurance, mobility is a crucial piece of that pie. Your muscles are designed to move your bones. Muscles can both stretch and contract. That is mobility. When you mobilize your muscles, you are better prepared to be able to take on resistance. It reduces unnecessary stress on the body and brings it back to a more balanced state, which helps reduce the risk of injury. Mobility can also help improve overall strength in the body by improving posture and range of motion when moving with resistance.
B3 MAG: Mobility is one of those things we often don’t appreciate until we lose it. What are some of the drawbacks of losing mobility in our bodies?
LISA: Number one is that you will feel a lack of range in your body. You won’t be able to twist as easily to grab something behind you, squat to pick up a bag, or lift a box over your head. Lack of mobility can lead to tension and even pain in the body, which can affect your ability to progress with your movement goals.
B3 MAG: Ok, let’s get into the barre3 workout. How does it help increase mobility?
LISA: Mobility is woven into every barre3 workout. We focus on three major aspects that help support overall mobility.
- Science-based warm-up. We use the first few minutes of the workout to heat and dynamically stretch the body. Dynamic stretches focus on moving the joints as they were designed to move, with the goal of increasing mobility in your muscles and activating them for the workout.
- Functional approach to movement. We design every workout to focus on the major ranges of motion the body can do. We squat, lunge, push, and pull in all directions. This helps reinforce mobility while building strength and endurance in your body.
- Static stretches. Holding a stretch is highly beneficial at the end of the workout. We integrate static stretches to address chronically tight areas of the body, which helps increase overall mobility.
B3 MAG: What advice would you offer to someone just starting barre3 who might be experiencing limited mobility?
LISA: First, listen to your body. It’s normal when focusing on mobility to feel the sensation of stretch and also the feeling of resistance on your body. However, if you feel negative pain in the movement, simply back off. Second, breathe through the movements. Breath is crucial to supporting the body, and it can also help the body open up and release. For example, in standing cat/cow (a dynamic stretch move designed to open and mobilize the spine), you want to inhale as you arch your back and exhale as you flex your spine. This will maximize the range of motion and allow you to move freely. Third, know that mobility is a journey. Some days, you will feel more open than others. Acknowledging where you are today is an important step and will allow you to get exactly what you need for that moment.
B3 MAG: What are some of your favorite barre3 moves for increasing mobility?
LISA: I have SO MANY, but here are my top three favorites. I specifically picked these because so many of us are sitting much more than we used to, and these moves help counter the damage this can cause.
- Windshield wipers. I love this mat-based move because it increases mobility in the hips and the spine. Simply lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet slightly wider than your hips. Allow your knees to fall to the right; as you do this, you’ll feel a gentle twist in your spine. Bring your knees through the center and let them fall to the left. Keep the movement slow, but continual.
- Wide Lunges. This is my favorite move for increasing mobility in the inner thighs and outer hips. Step your feet wide to the side, pointing them toward 1 and 11 o’clock on an imaginary clock. Hinge from your hips, and slightly incline your spine while maintaining a long back. From here, bend one knee at a time, right then left, being sure to keep you seat back and your knees over your ankles.
- Shoulder passes. Talk about a move that increases mobility in the shoulder joint wrapped up into one simple move! I not only do this move in barre3 classes, but also throughout my day when I’ve been sitting and working at my laptop for too long. Bring your arms to a low V next to your hips with your thumbs pointing forward, palms toward your body. Start to lift your arms toward shoulder height without allowing the elbows to bend or the ribcage to push forward. Continue lifting your arms until they reach a high V position above your head. Flip the palms at the top of the move, so the thumbs return forward and the palms are facing out, and circle your arms back to a low V position with your pinkies facing forward, palms out. Reverse the direction to complete 1 set of shoulder passes.
Ready to experience a feel-good workout that helps you move through your day with greater strength and ease? Find your local studio or get started with 15 days of at-home workouts, totally free.
