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INTUITIVE EXERCISING IS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER THE FITNESS WORLD (PSST…BARRE3 HAS BEEN DOING IT SINCE THE BEGINNING)
It seems like everywhere we turn these days there’s another article on intuitive eating or intuitive living. But what about intuitive exercising? Is there such thing?
The short answer: YES—and barre3 has been advocating for it since we opened our flagship studio in 2008. We sat down with barre3 Lead Instructor Catie Fahrner to get the scoop on what, exactly, intuitive exercising is, how barre3 incorporates it into every workout, and why it can help you redefine your relationship with fitness.
B3 MAGAZINE: Let’s start from the beginning: What is intuitive exercising?
CATIE: Intuitive exercising is moving in a way that supports you on all levels: your body, your energy, and your mind. When you allow intuition to drive your movement, exercise will look vastly different from day to day and during different seasons of your life.
Another way to understand intuitive exercising is to understand what it’s not. Intuitive exercising is not forcing yourself to stick to a rigid fitness regimen regardless of how you feel, and it is not about copying what your instructor is doing at all costs. Instead, intuitive exercising is about listening to your body, understanding what it needs in that moment, and adjusting your workout accordingly—in other words, it’s about tapping into your intuition, both body and mind, to move in a way that feels good.
B3 MAGAZINE: Can you explain how barre3 incorporates intuitive movement into every class?
CATIE: It starts at the very beginning of class, when we lead you through deep, grounding breaths that help you come into your body. This is a key step, as it allows us to shift from the go-go-go rush daily life, where we tend to live in our heads, to a more self-aware state, where we’re able to tune into how we’re feeling.
At the beginning of each barre3 posture (or move) your Instructor explains what muscle groups are being targeted and what sensations you will be feeling, as well as which areas in your body you should not be feeling tension (for example, knees, ankles, and lower back). At this point, the instructor will ask you to pause and ask yourself how the move feels in your body (we call this the PAL approach: Pause, Ask, Listen), and will give you very clear modifications to explore if it’s not working for you. Once you’ve tapped into how you feel, you’ll know intuitively whether to stay with the original move or to take a modification—in other words, you’ll be practicing intuitive exercising.
B3 MAGAZINE: Does intuitive exercising always mean dialing back?
CATIE: Absolutely not! A modification is simply an alternative posture or variation of movement that feels better for your body in the moment. You can modify to decrease intensity or pressure in your body, and you can modify to increase intensity or pressure. The magic happens when we embrace both options: pushing ourselves in our workouts when our body is ready for it, and pulling back when our body is telling us something’s not right.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are the benefits of intuitive exercising?
CATIE: There are so many! Let’s start with the physical benefits. When you exercise intuitively, you’re moving your body in a healthy, respectful way. Because you’re not pushing it beyond its limits, your chances of getting injured decrease, and you’re able to build strength and stamina in a safe, sustainable way. The more you practice intuitive exercising, the more body wisdom you’ll develop.
Intuitive exercising also helps you discover the joy in movement. Think back to an exercise class that encouraged a no-pain-no-gain approach. If you’re like many people, you succumbed to the pressure to perform, but hated every painful minute of it—or worse, became injured—and learned to dread exercise. With intuitive exercising, you’re only doing what feels good in your body. When you learn to move this way, exercise becomes a deeply rewarding experience—something you look forward to—rather than a chore.
And finally, there are huge beyond-the-studio benefits to intuitive exercise. We know that what we practice we get good at, and when we practice modifying and standing up for ourselves in our workouts, it extends to other areas of our lives. For example, you might find that you begin to protect your energy by how you schedule our calendar, choosing not to overextend yourself in your personal life or in your work life. You may find that you’re more intentional about whom you spend your time with, choosing to surround yourself with community and friends that are positive and supportive.
B3 MAGAZINE: For way too many years, fitness has been about following rigid rules. Do you have any advice for how someone can start shifting to a more intuitive mindset around exercise?
CATIE: This issue is so close to our hearts at barre3. Thanks to the old fitness “rules,” many of us have negative relationships with exercise. At barre3, we believe we can redefine our relationship with exercise, and it starts by taking an intuitive approach.
Movement is imperative for our health and well-being, but rigid rules are not! Let’s collectively hold hands and step away from the “one size fits all” mindset. Let’s embrace that we are all very different people with bodies that have very different, beautiful, stories and different needs.
Intuitive exercising is at the core of every barre3 workout. Join us with a 15-day free trial of barre3 online workouts today.
It seems like everywhere we turn these days there’s another article on intuitive eating or intuitive living. But what about intuitive exercising? Is there such thing?
The short answer: YES—and barre3 has been advocating for it since we opened our flagship studio in 2008. We sat down with barre3 Lead Instructor Catie Fahrner to get the scoop on what, exactly, intuitive exercising is, how barre3 incorporates it into every workout, and why it can help you redefine your relationship with fitness.
B3 MAGAZINE: Let’s start from the beginning: What is intuitive exercising?
CATIE: Intuitive exercising is moving in a way that supports you on all levels: your body, your energy, and your mind. When you allow intuition to drive your movement, exercise will look vastly different from day to day and during different seasons of your life.
Another way to understand intuitive exercising is to understand what it’s not. Intuitive exercising is not forcing yourself to stick to a rigid fitness regimen regardless of how you feel, and it is not about copying what your instructor is doing at all costs. Instead, intuitive exercising is about listening to your body, understanding what it needs in that moment, and adjusting your workout accordingly—in other words, it’s about tapping into your intuition, both body and mind, to move in a way that feels good.
B3 MAGAZINE: Can you explain how barre3 incorporates intuitive movement into every class?
CATIE: It starts at the very beginning of class, when we lead you through deep, grounding breaths that help you come into your body. This is a key step, as it allows us to shift from the go-go-go rush daily life, where we tend to live in our heads, to a more self-aware state, where we’re able to tune into how we’re feeling.
At the beginning of each barre3 posture (or move) your Instructor explains what muscle groups are being targeted and what sensations you will be feeling, as well as which areas in your body you should not be feeling tension (for example, knees, ankles, and lower back). At this point, the instructor will ask you to pause and ask yourself how the move feels in your body (we call this the PAL approach: Pause, Ask, Listen), and will give you very clear modifications to explore if it’s not working for you. Once you’ve tapped into how you feel, you’ll know intuitively whether to stay with the original move or to take a modification—in other words, you’ll be practicing intuitive exercising.
B3 MAGAZINE: Does intuitive exercising always mean dialing back?
CATIE: Absolutely not! A modification is simply an alternative posture or variation of movement that feels better for your body in the moment. You can modify to decrease intensity or pressure in your body, and you can modify to increase intensity or pressure. The magic happens when we embrace both options: pushing ourselves in our workouts when our body is ready for it, and pulling back when our body is telling us something’s not right.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are the benefits of intuitive exercising?
CATIE: There are so many! Let’s start with the physical benefits. When you exercise intuitively, you’re moving your body in a healthy, respectful way. Because you’re not pushing it beyond its limits, your chances of getting injured decrease, and you’re able to build strength and stamina in a safe, sustainable way. The more you practice intuitive exercising, the more body wisdom you’ll develop.
Intuitive exercising also helps you discover the joy in movement. Think back to an exercise class that encouraged a no-pain-no-gain approach. If you’re like many people, you succumbed to the pressure to perform, but hated every painful minute of it—or worse, became injured—and learned to dread exercise. With intuitive exercising, you’re only doing what feels good in your body. When you learn to move this way, exercise becomes a deeply rewarding experience—something you look forward to—rather than a chore.
And finally, there are huge beyond-the-studio benefits to intuitive exercise. We know that what we practice we get good at, and when we practice modifying and standing up for ourselves in our workouts, it extends to other areas of our lives. For example, you might find that you begin to protect your energy by how you schedule our calendar, choosing not to overextend yourself in your personal life or in your work life. You may find that you’re more intentional about whom you spend your time with, choosing to surround yourself with community and friends that are positive and supportive.
B3 MAGAZINE: For way too many years, fitness has been about following rigid rules. Do you have any advice for how someone can start shifting to a more intuitive mindset around exercise?
CATIE: This issue is so close to our hearts at barre3. Thanks to the old fitness “rules,” many of us have negative relationships with exercise. At barre3, we believe we can redefine our relationship with exercise, and it starts by taking an intuitive approach.
Movement is imperative for our health and well-being, but rigid rules are not! Let’s collectively hold hands and step away from the “one size fits all” mindset. Let’s embrace that we are all very different people with bodies that have very different, beautiful, stories and different needs.
Intuitive exercising is at the core of every barre3 workout. Join us with a 15-day free trial of barre3 online workouts today.
