While barre classes might seem like something you have to do in a gym — where there’s a literal ballet barre attached to a wall — you can most certainly do them in your living room, too. Just pull up a 30-minute barre workout at home on YouTube and you’ll be on your way to feeling as strong and limber as a ballet dancer.
If you’ve ever taken this type of exercise class IRL, then you know barre isn’t always the most fast-paced or cardio-driven way to sweat. It is, however, way harder than it looks (trust). Typically, the ballet-based fitness modality is meant to strengthen specific areas of your body, like your arms, core, glutes, and legs, through small, isolated, low-impact movements borrowed from dance, yoga, and Pilates. And, despite the tiny pulses and pliés, they bring a major burn.
This is why even the most “chill” barre workout video will leave you feeling sore the next day, especially if you’re trying it for the first time. While some exercises recommend adding dumbbells or using a chair as a stand-in barre for balance, plenty require no equipment at all — just you and your sweatpants (or, if you really want to channel your inner “Swan Lake,” your tights and tutu).
Looking for a low-impact but challenging sweat sesh? Grab your grippy socks and peruse through the best 30-minute barre workouts on YouTube to do at home below.
1No Equipment Needed
Here’s a full-body workout that tones and lengthens muscles using a series of micro-movements and stretches. It also features vibe-y music, no talking, and a countdown timer, so you’ll know just how long you have to repeat each move.
2Full Body With Dumbbells
This barre workout incorporates light weights (or soup cans, bottles of water, or whatever else you have on hand) to exercise every area of your body. Move your furniture aside, roll out a mat, and give it a try.
3Barre For Beginners
If you’re trying barre for the very first time, go with this one. The instructor helps you loosen up in the beginning with stretches, squats, and planks before moving into traditional movements in the second half of the video.
4Barre With Pilates
This video combines barre and Pilates for a variety of movements that light up all areas of your body, which is perfect if you’re looking to add something new to your usual workout routine.
5Barre-Cardio Blend
Cardio, planks, squats... this more fast-paced barre sesh covers it all. You’ll definitely be sweating and sore by the end of it.
6HIIT Barre
Want to do barre but also high-intensity interval training (HIIT)? In this 30-minute workout, you’ll alternate between well-known strength moves like lunge twists and knee push-ups as well as barre positions like arabesques and bicep curls while on relevé (AKA on your toes).
7Classic Ballet
To live out your ballerina dreams, this workout uses classic ballet training (think first position and second position) to move you through muscle-quaking dance moves that’ll have you sliding across your living room.
8Power Cardio
Craving something that’ll get your heart pumping? This 30-minute cardio barre workout uses weights for a high-energy take on the traditionally slow-paced exercise modality — so you get the best of both worlds.
9Intermediate Level
Whether you’re up for a challenge or are an actual dancer who knows ballet terminology, this intermediate-level barre class — set to classical music — will leave your lower body shaking in just half an hour.
