Whether you are new to barre routines or you have been practicing for years, you could be making a mistake or two. When you buy a new portable ballet barre, make sure that you read about these common mistakes to ensure that you do not cause more harm than good when you work out. Pay close attention to these common issues to prevent injury to your body or to slow down your progress.
Mistake #1: Not creating resistance.
While you should not be using very heavy weights in your barre routine, you also do not want to be able to flail your arms around easily. You have to create your own resistance by squeezing muscles, fighting momentum and moving slowly.
Mistake #2: Not cooling down after a workout.
It is always important to cool down after a portable barre routine. Stretching takes just a couple minutes, and it helps to boost your flexibility and improve circulation. It can also prevent injury of your muscles.
Mistake #3: Gripping the ballet barre.
Make sure you are not white knuckling when you grip the barre. This creates tension in your arms, eliminating the work that your core and leg muscles should be doing. This severely slows your progress.
Mistake #4: Fearing judgment.
Whether you work out at home or with a class, it is never a good idea to be afraid of what other people think of your workout. Everybody is more concerned about their own workout than yours. If you are not struggling at least a little, you may not be making as much progress. It's perfectly fine to feel that you are out of your comfort zone.
Mistake #5: Rounding your lower back.
Your tailbone should be facing the ground, not forward. If you round your back, you are not squaring your hips the way you need to for best progress. It is also a bad idea to round your torso, which means that your torso and back do not reap the rewards of a fantastic workout. Always engage your core.
Mistake #6: Not breathing.
When you breathe correctly, you release a lot of the tension in your body. Holding keeps that tension inside of you. Plus, breathing gives you a boost of energy and encourages the flow of oxygen throughout your entire body.
It is easy to make these mistakes, so you should not feel bad if you find yourself doing any of these things. They are easy corrections to make once you are aware of them. Want to learn how to make the portable barre your fitness haven? Contact us to learn more about your options.
