While barre classes might seem like something you have to do in a gym — where there’s a literal ballet barre attached to a wall — you can most certainly do them in your living room, too. Just pull up a 30-minute barre workout at home on YouTube and you’ll be on your way to feeling as strong and limber as a ballet dancer.
If you’ve ever taken this type of exercise class IRL, then you know barre isn’t always the most fast-paced or cardio-driven way to sweat. It is, however, way harder than it looks (trust). Typically, the ballet-based fitness modality is meant to strengthen specific areas of your body, like your arms, core, glutes, and legs, through small, isolated, low-impact movements borrowed from dance, yoga, and Pilates. And, despite the tiny pulses and pliés, they bring a major burn.
This is why even the most “chill” barre workout video will leave you feeling sore the next day, especially if you’re trying it for the first time. While some exercises recommend adding dumbbells or using a chair as a stand-in barre for balance, plenty require no equipment at all — just you and your sweatpants (or, if you really want to channel your inner “Swan Lake,” your tights and tutu).