You'll look like an amateur walking into barre class like this

For the last few months, I’ve been taking a weekly barre class. Barre workouts use a wall-mounted, wooden, horizontal handrail called a barre. In addition to being a ballet-inspired workout, it includes elements of yoga, dance, and functional strength training through pilates and light weights. Barre classes aim to improve your balance, posture, coordination, and strength. These workouts are low-impact and target various muscle groups, one at a time.  

My go-to group workouts used to be Zumba (a Latin-inspired cardio dance workout) and WERQ (a cardio hip hop dance workout). Those types of dance classes require very different items than barre exercises. These are the items you should leave at home if you attend a barre class and the essential items you need to bring. 

1: Don’t wear shoes or standard socks (wear grippy socks instead)

be sure to wear grippy socks

The most important item you need to bring to barre classes is anti-slip “grippy” socks. Don’t step into the workout room with shoes; you’ll need to take these off outside of the room. You also don’t want to wear standard socks that don’t have any grip at the bottom. Many of the moves have you on one foot, on your toes, or with a resistance band against your feet. Standard socks are too slippery for these moves, so grippy socks are essential.  

I like the barre socks from Gaiam. They have a ballet-looking design with a crisscross pattern on top that makes it easy to pretend I’m a real ballerina. More importantly, the bottom is nice and grippy. I also like these particular barre socks because they’re thin, which prevents sweaty feet during my workout. 

Soon, I’ll be starting up yoga workouts again and I think these will be perfect for that type of exercise as well. Pricing varies by color and whether you get a single pair or a 2-pack. I started by just getting a single pair of black and gray socks for just $9.99. Once I start using them for yoga, I’ll need to get more. Other color options include gray/blue, pink/gray, light/dark purple, light dark/blue, pink/blue, all black, maroon/pink, and blue/black.  

Note that these are “one size fits most” and stretchy. They’re designed to fit women’s feet size 5-10 or men’s feet size 4-10. If you wear a larger shoe size, these might be too snug on you.  

2: Don’t wear short shorts (wear pants instead)

Shorts are great for many types of workouts (such as dance workouts), but they don’t work well for barre. Depending on the barre class, you may be using resistance or balls. You can’t get the proper grip with bare, sweaty skin. Pants keep your workout accessories in place. Some classes also have a lot of floor work, which also makes shorts less than ideal. 

Stick to pants or capris. Yoga pants tend to work better than loose-fitted pants, again, for keeping workout accessories in place. Most high-end yoga pants brands will work well and I often wear lululemon leggings.  

Those looking for a more affordable alternative should consider 90 Degree By Reflex leggings. They’re “squat proof,” stretchy, sweat-wicking, and have pockets. Most importantly, reviewers say how they specifically wear these pants to barre and yoga classes. There are 40+ colors available and they only cost an affordable $24.99. 

3: Don’t bring in food or drinks besides water (but eat this afterward instead)

While this rule may vary by location, in my experience, you aren’t allowed to bring food or sticky drinks into the barre workout room. Of course, if you have a medical reason, such as a diabetic needing juice, you can likely get an exception. Water is allowed and I recommend bringing it in case you get overheated. Anything else you should wait to eat at home or in the car. 

My favorite post-barre food is Get Golden snack bars. These snack bars were created by professional New York City Ballet dancer Jenelle Manzi, so she knows what type of replenishment you need after a ballet-inspired workout.  

Manzi, who is also the company’s founder and CEO, carefully experimented with homemade recipes until finding the ideal combination of seeds, nuts, and more. Between injuries and allergies, it was a challenge to find a snack that gave her sufficient energy and the flavors she craved. 

Get Golden currently just has two flavors, which are Classic Caramel and Chocolate Sea Salt. I enjoy both flavors, but the Classic Caramel is definitely my favorite. The bar contains seeds, nuts, and their vegan Tumeric Coconut Butter “Caramel.” The Chocolate Sea Salt also uses “caramel,” seeds, nuts, and dark chocolate. Both flavors are organic, gluten-free, and vegan. Obviously, you shouldn’t eat these if you have nut allergies. 

I like these bars because they refuel me after workouts, have just the right amount of sweetness, aren’t too crumbly, and are easy to bring with me if I need to eat something on the drive home. I don’t just eat these after workouts. I’m not much of a big breakfast person, so sometimes these will start off my day. They also work well when I need an afternoon snack in between lunch and dinner.  

A 3-pack costs $12 and a 12-pack costs $39. There is also a subscription option to cut down on costs. With a monthly subscription, each 3-pack costs $11.08 and each 12-pack costs $36. 

Besides your water and supplied equipment (weights, bands, discs, balance balls, etc.), most classes don’t want you to bring any other items into the workout room. Anything you're nervous about getting stolen, you should leave in your car. If you didn’t drive to class, you might be able to keep valuable items in your yoga pants’ pocket. 

Anyone who is hesitant about trying a barre class should go for it! You don’t need a ballerina body to participate. It’s open to all fitness levels. These classes can be challenging, but a lot of the moves are also adjustable. For example, you can put down weights or resistance bands any time you feel they aren’t serving you. Get the proper workout attire, plan your post-workout snack, and go have fun!