79% of Americans say that stress impacts their daily lives, according to a Gallup survey. While it’s beneficial to experience a small amount of stress, excess stress can result in health problems, including high blood pressure and headaches, as well as poor lifestyle choices. But by regularly attending a barre fitness class, you’ll eradicate these concerns, as barre fitness can instantly improve your stress levels and make you feel and look better than ever.

Focuses the mind

During a barre fitness class, you’ll focus on pushing your muscles to the max with small yet effective movements that incorporate ballet, pilates, yoga, dance and strength training. As your mind will be so focused on the movements you are making, you won’t have time to think about the stressors in your life, and your mental health will benefit. Doing yoga moves as part of barre is particularly advantageous if you’re experiencing stress in your life, as practicing yoga has been proven to keep cortisol levels low. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for stress, so the lower this remains, the happier and more relaxed you’ll feel.

It incorporates de-stressors

Work, money, and health are the biggest causes of stress, according to The American Institute of Stress. When stress occurs it causes your body’s resting heart rate to increase, and this can impact your physical and mental health, as well as your oxygen levels. Exercise in itself is a stressor, but when you do barre workouts, you’re practicing aspects of yoga, including deep breathing and relaxation, which aids the way your body handles stress. As a result, your body’s heart rate will recover quicker post-workout and when you’re in stressful situations.

The power of strength training

The American Psychological Association reports that 43% of Americans say that stress has prevented them from sleeping. But regularly participating in a barre fitness class can help to alleviate stress and subsequent sleep problems. Research shows that the strength training aspect of barre fitness, which involves individuals using their own body weight for resistance and to strengthen their muscles, can encourage better sleep. O’Connor et al concluded that people with sleep disorders had a 30% improvement in their sleep patterns when they regularly did resistance training, such as barre fitness.

Fun music

Many people who participate in barre fitness say that they enjoy it because of the fun that the music brings to it. But this music also has a powerful impact on your stress levels. Not only does research show that music lowers cortisol levels, but it’s also found that music can trigger dopamine, a neurotransmitter that’s responsible for happiness. For optimum stress reduction, the barre fitness class you attend should use music that’s 60 beats per minute, as this allows your brain to create alpha brainwaves that aid relaxation.

There’s no need to let stress get you down, as barre fitness is a great way to counteract the effect that stress has on your body. Thanks to a combination of moves and music, barre fitness is a fun and effective way of eliminating stress, enhancing your sleep and boosting your mental clarity.