February is American Heart Month, and if you’re wondering how to improve heart health, the answer might just be as simple as stepping into your local Pure Barre studio. Though barre is often classified as a strength workout, the heart health benefits are undeniable. Pure Barre workouts generally focus on small, controlled movements that raise the heart rate while improving muscular endurance. These characteristics make Pure Barre an excellent option for people looking to enhance their cardiovascular fitness through low-impact exercise. First let’s talk generally about why exercise is important for maintaining a healthy heart.
Can Exercise Help Prevent Heart Disease?
The answer is a resounding yes. Regular physical activity, including Pure Barre, plays a significant role in preventing heart disease. Research has shown that exercise helps lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and maintain healthy blood sugar levels—all of which are essential factors in preventing cardiovascular disease. According to a study published by the Mayo Clinic, "consistent physical activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease" (Mayo Clinic, 2023). As a low-impact workout that targets both strength and cardio, barre is an excellent choice for people aiming to reduce their risk of heart disease.
Why is Exercise Good For Your Heart?
Exercise is essential for heart health because it helps strengthen the heart muscle, improve circulation, and enhance the efficiency of the cardiovascular system. According to American Heart Association (AHA), physical activity improves your heart’s ability to pump blood and reduces your risk of heart disease. By increasing heart rate during exercise, the cardiovascular system is challenged to work harder, ultimately leading to improved endurance and heart function over time.
Incorporating exercises that target the heart and lungs is crucial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart attacks. AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week - that equals about 3 Pure Barre classes. Since Pure Barre helps you improve strength, flexibility, and heart health all at once, barre just might be the best workout for heart health you’ve been looking for.
How Pure Barre Improves Heart Health
Pure Barre combines elements of ballet, Pilates, and strength training and is typically associated with toning and sculpting your muscles; people often don’t realize the cardiovascular benefits are equally noteworthy. The Pure Barre technique uses small movements and small isometric holds to keep your heart rate elevated throughout class. These rapid, controlled movements engage large muscle groups, leading to increased heart rate and calorie burn. Pure Barre classes range from moderate to high intensity, but all classes are designed to keep your cardiovascular system engaged throughout, enhancing heart health.
According to Pure Barre’s VP of Training & Technique Michelle Ditto, “classes like Pure Barre Empower™ incorporate strategically designed cardio bursts to get your heart pumping in a way that supports both muscle endurance and cardiovascular health.” The nature of the workout—alternating between strength exercises that focus on the major movers of the body through circuit-style training to target muscular endurance (think squats, lunges, and barre-specific movements that highlight core engagement and form) paired with short bursts of cardio exercises (think shorter intervals that ask you to push your cardiovascular endurance using things like mountain climbers and plyometric options) — helps to improve circulation and stimulate cardiovascular function. These exercises to help heart disease focus on improving your body's stamina while simultaneously promoting heart function.
For individuals with concerns about high-impact workouts, Pure Barre provides a gentle alternative. While high-impact exercises like running are great sources of cardio, they can be hard on the joints. Pure Barre is a low-impact exercise that minimizes the risk of injury while still offering significant cardiovascular benefits.
How to Improve Heart Health with Pure Barre
. Here’s how you can maximize the benefits of Pure Barre for your cardiovascular health
- Commit to Consistency: Aim for 3-5 Pure Barre classes per week. Consistency is key when it comes to improving cardiovascular health. By making barre a regular part of your exercise routine, you’ll see improvements in heart health over time.
- Increase Intensity Gradually: If you’re new to barre, start with a Pure Barre Engage™ intro class and gradually add in a variety of our 4 class formats. Over time, increasing the intensity of your workout will further improve heart function.
- Focus on Recovery: While barre provides great cardiovascular benefits, make sure to include rest days in your routine to allow your heart and muscles to repair and grow stronger.
Barre is a powerful workout that not only tones and sculpts the body but also offers impressive benefits for heart health. Whether you’re looking to increase your endurance or simply get active to prevent heart disease, Pure Barre offers a low-impact, full-body workout that promotes cardiovascular fitness. By regularly incorporating Pure Barre into your exercise routine, you’ll not only feel stronger and more energized but also improve your overall heart health. Get started with a free barre intro class at your local studio by filling out the form below!