Businesses provide alternative workout

While weights and treadmills are often found in exercise spaces, students like senior Alex Pasquale have turned to ballet barres for physical activity.

Two businesses, Pure Barre and Balanced Barre, offer barre classes in St. Louis Park. Balanced Barre, which opened Nov. 1, and Pure Barre, which opened last spring, are both located on West 36th Street. Classes typically last around an hour and cost $20 per session.

According to Balanced Barre owner Tina Dunlap, the classes are intended to provide low impact exercises using ballet barres for balance.

Dunlap said that while the barre technique has existed since the 1970s but is now increasing in prevalence in the Midwest. She said she decided to teach barre classes after learning about them in California.

“When I took my first barre class, I was hooked,” Dunlap said. “It was the most challenging workout I ever had. I could see myself doing it every day because I loved it so much.”

Pasquale recently took a barre class and said she liked the variety it added to her workout routine.

“I’m not a huge fan of running or anything to get your muscles moving that way, but this is a way to get an intense, full body workout,” Pasquale said.

Dunlap said few teenagers take barre classes regularly during the school year. However, she said they provide good exercises for students who want to use their entire bodies.

“In certain sports, you’re only trained in certain areas,” Dunlap said. “Barre hits those spots that other exercises don’t hit.”

Despite the different technique introduced by barre classes, junior Mohamed Mohamud said he would not take them because he already goes to the gym and prefers  other exercises.

“I would not (take a barre class) because it seems more geared toward older people who can’t use their joints as well,” Mohamud said. “You can exercise a lot of ways, so that particular form doesn’t interest me.”

However, junior Imara Hixon said she would consider taking a barre class if it fit into the workout routine she already follows.

“At first I thought it was kind of ridiculous, but now it makes more sense,” Hixon said. “If it’s a good workout, I would definitely try it at least once.”

Pasquale said she agrees barre classes are a good fitness option for students who are interested in them.

Although she said she does not plan to attend regularly, she said she enjoyed the experience.

“I wouldn’t want to do it consistently (because) of the cost and it would get repetitive,” Pasquale said. “(But) you feel really powerful afterward because you use your full body.”

However, Dunlap said some clients do frequently attend classes at her studio because they find them effective.

“Almost immediately, they see change in their bodies they haven’t seen before,” Dunlap said. “Every time they come they are challenged.”