Barre Training Benefits More than Dancers

I’m never going to become a ballerina, but I became interested in the barre training sessions taught by Mary Jane Weiss at Sono Athletic Club during a recent visit. For years, dancers and actors have toned their bodies and strengthened their muscles at the barre (pronounced bar). Now, barre training is going mainstream among fitness buffs.

“We have a whole cross-section of people who do it,’’ Mary Jane says. The exercises combine elements of dance, yoga, Pilates, stretching and strength-building. She conducts one-hour group workouts that will leave you breathless. That’s a good thing.  “They’re all elongated moves,’’ Mary Jane says. “All the muscle groups are involved.”

Those extended movements are precisely the reason actors and dancers prefer barre training. The exercise helps develop lean figures in addition to strengthening core muscles. The sessions are also low impact and improve flexibility and endurance. Even a middle-age curmudgeonly journalist with creaky knees and a back that balks when carrying groceries from the car could reap benefits from barre training.

Weiss guides classes several times a week. For more information, contact Sono AC at 203-810-4848 or at www.sonac.com

 

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