Five reasons Barre Attack will help you nail the City to Surf

The City to Surf is an iconic Sydney event that ends at an iconic Australian location – Bondi Beach. It is one of our favourite days of the year here at Barre Attack right in the heart of Bondi. The place is buzzing and has an amazing atmosphere, and it feels like the unofficial beginning of Spring – with longer, warmer days just on the horizon.

If you’re getting geared up to tackle the City to Surf this year, then complementing your running training with barre classes is a must. You might be thinking that lots of running is all you need to do to get in shape for race day. Well, think again. There are so many ways in which a barre class will get you over that finish line faster, in better shape, and with a smile on your face. Plus, your recovery will be easier because your conditioning will be better.

Here’s four ways that barre workouts can make you a better runner.

Barre Equals Stronger hip stabilisers

Weak hip stabilisers can cause other muscles to overwork and strain to compensate which is a recipe for injury. When the hip abductors and rotators are weak, you’re at risk of common running injuries like ITB syndrome, knee pain and hip impingement. A Barre Attack workout focuses hugely on strengthening all the core muscles that work to support the hips, especially the glutes. And if you suffer from tight hip flexors then a barre workout is an effective way to counteract that tightness with plenty of hip opening exercises. Think about how much work your hips are doing and how much impact they are taking during a run like the City to Surf – it’s a big demand on them so make sure they are up to the task!

Barre gives Increased foot and ankle strength

Our feet and ankles often get overlooked when it comes to strengthening exercises – but not in barre class. As a barre instructor, you’ll be very familiar with the focus placed on correct ankle alignment and building strength in the feet. The foot gets plenty of love in barre class – including the toes. They do so much to keep us standing and balancing and will be working overtime during the City to Surf so barre classes are the perfect opportunity to give them the workout they so often miss out on.

Barre Posture to be proud of

We are all familiar with the sight of runners who stagger across the finish line, their upper bodies hunched over, head dropped, shoulders collapsed from the effort of running. In Barre Attack, a strong, open posture is always the goal and upper body barre exercises are a great way to ensure that you run with your good posture intact, the whole distance. As soon as your posture starts to deteriorate, everything will be harder – your centre of gravity shifts and breathing becomes constricted. By strengthening and training your upper body to resist the force of gravity and exhaustion with barre workouts, you’ll stride across that line with your head held high!

It’s all in the mind

Let’s face it: Barre Attack classes are hard. Some might even call them brutal. It takes a lot of mental strength to stay the course and cope with the muscle fatigue and pain that a barre class demands. Barre Attack is an awesome way to build your mental ability to cope with a physical challenge that will push you well outside your comfort zone. Think of it this way: Heartbreak Hill will seem like a stroll in the park after a Barre Attack class!