{"id":2170,"date":"2025-02-14T11:34:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/do-you-need-additional-cardio-with-your-barre-workout.html"},"modified":"2025-02-14T11:34:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:34:13","slug":"do-you-need-additional-cardio-with-your-barre-workout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/do-you-need-additional-cardio-with-your-barre-workout.html","title":{"rendered":"Do You Need Additional Cardio with Your Barre Workout?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barre workouts offer\u00a0benefits such as toning, strength, and stability, but does barre count as a cardio workout?<\/p>\n

And is it enough cardio for weight loss, or do you need to add extra cardio to your workout schedule?<\/p>\n

It depends on your goals \u2014 here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

Is Barre an Aerobic Exercise?<\/h2>\n

Yes, a barre workout can have aerobic benefits.\u00a0Aerobic exercise is a type of continuous, rhythmic cardio exercise that relies primarily on oxygen for energy.<\/p>\n

And while a barre workout may not leave you gasping for air like a Tabata class, you\u2019ll be moving fluidly through the full workout.<\/p>\n

But the key benefit of barre is strength endurance, says Caroline Pilcher, ACE CPT, AFAA, PN1, a Chicago-based Tier 3+ personal trainer at\u00a0Equinox. (Your tired legs and shaky muscles will agree.)<\/p>\n

Barre workouts work muscle groups you don\u2019t traditionally work in other classes, and the dance-inspired moves help improve stability and balance, says Pilcher.<\/p>\n

How Many Calories Does Barre Burn?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Calculating the\u00a0calories burned during any exercise depends on a number of different factors including your weight, age, fitness level, and body composition.<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0MapMyFitness calorie calculator, a 150-pound person can burn around 400 calories per hour in a barre class.<\/p>\n

By comparison, a 150-pound person would burn\u00a0around 545 calories\u00a0in one hour of circuit training, or 682 calories in an hour of kickboxing.<\/p>\n

But the calorie burn also depends on the level of intensity \u2014 and that can vary widely between barre workouts.<\/p>\n

An intense barre workout like Xtend Barre, for example, is likely to burn more calories than a low-intensity barre class.<\/p>\n

Do Any Barre Workouts Count as Cardio?<\/h2>\n

Yes, barre\u00a0counts as cardio\u00a0\u2014 but its effectiveness depends on the workout.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell it\u2019s cardio once you\u2019re breathless, and you remain breathless \u2014 basically when you\u2019re moving nonstop for more than a minute at a time,\u201d explains Pilcher.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re just starting out, you can expect a lot of starting and stopping while you watch the instructor and try to learn the movements, so your movement might not be as constant or fluid.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, you may find a barre class more challenging \u2014 and it may raise your heart rate more \u2014 if you\u2019re just getting started with fitness.<\/p>\n

Once you master the different moves and combinations, you may be able to tackle a more intense barre class \u2014 and those can raise your heart rate and give you a better cardio workout.<\/p>\n

Xtend Barre, for example, incorporates fast-paced moves for a cardio workout.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m Doing a Barre Workout Program, Do I Need Extra Cardio?<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0American Heart Association recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise.<\/p>\n

So whether you need extra cardio on top of your barre program depends on how much time you plan to devote to barre.<\/p>\n

If you need more cardio minutes each week, squeeze in extra\u00a0steady-state cardio\u00a0by doing an incline walk on a treadmill, a bike ride around your neighborhood, or a\u00a0low-impact cardio workout.<\/p>\n

In barre, you\u2019re working on smaller muscles, balance, and coordination; steady-state cardio is a great complement, Pilcher says, since it burns fat and works your heart.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re short on time \u2014 or you\u2019re looking to increase your\u00a0aerobic capacity\u00a0and\u00a0burn more fat\u00a0\u2014 you may want to supplement your barre workouts with vigorous\u00a0high-intensity interval training (HIIT).<\/p>\n

Or try the Xtend Barre workouts on OzHelp, which offer a 30-minute cardio mix of Pilates and ballet barre.<\/p>\n

The bottom line: Barre classes provide a cardio workout and can also help you build strength endurance, a key\u00a0component of fitness.<\/p>\n

So there are plenty of great reasons to hit the barre.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re looking to ramp up your calorie burn or increase your cardiovascular fitness, look for a barre workout with a higher-intensity format \u2014 or add some HIIT days to your weekly workout plan.<\/p>\n

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