Fitness Barre Workouts

This 17-Minute Barre Workout Does Not Confuse ‘Low Impact’ With ‘Easy’

Erin Bunch

March 5, 2021

High-intensity workouts are great—love me some HIIT—but sometimes your body just won't allow them. Perhaps your knees have been through the wringer and can't withstand too much impact, or you're extremely pregnant and need to move your body in ways that are a tad gentler. Enter the latest episode of Good Moves, wherein Barre3 owner Alicia Sokol shares a quick low-impact barre workout that's gentle on the body but effective AF.

Experts In This Article

Alicia Sokol, barre instructor and owner of Barr3 in Washington, D.C.

"I'm bringing you a workout today that's focused on the core," she says. "It's low impact, there are going to be modifications, and this is especially good if you are expecting, because we're not going to do any deep twisting, no laying on the back, we're really going to protect and strengthen our abs." (If you're pregnant, obviously check with your doctor to make sure this workout is a go for you.) It's actually not all that easy to find core workouts that don't include twisting or crunching, so this is a major boon for those gestating wee ones—or who just don't enjoy most ab work. *Raises hand.*

While you can bring weights and a small "squishy" exercise ball to this practice, all you really need is a mat; Sokol will walk you through modifications either way. And because the workout is only 17-minutes long and technically requires no equipment, there are literally no excuses for skipping out on it short of going into actual labor.

With that said, "low impact" is not to be confused with "easy." Sokol even includes a move she finds difficult to sweat through, so you know she did not come to play. Watch the video to push yourself (before pushing), or just to mix up your ab routine with something other than a bicycle crunch.

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