So glad you asked!

Barre is a type of workout that combines the basics of ballet with the repetitive nature of pilates exercises. If you’ve never taken a ballet or pilates class, though, it’s all good—barre is really easy to follow along with.

Typically, barre class moves quickly, aiming to tire the muscles as quickly as possible. However, in the class above, we take things a lot slower so that you can read at the same time. Basically, we just do a bunch of squats and leg lifts at a comfortable pace!

Traditionally, barre class can be a challenge for your muscle and cardio stamina, which sometimes makes it feel “hard”.

However, using the class video above, you’ll find that this barre class is relatively “easy” compared to traditional barre. That’s because we take things very slowly, and you have the option to take breaks as needed in between exercises and repetitions. And we don’t want to strain ourselves if we want to read at the same time!

Working out while reading is totally possible—it just takes some simple practice!

If you’re new to working out while reading, make sure you follow along with the video above, and don’t be afraid to take breaks as needed. As we do in the video, take things really slowly so that you can read at the same time. If you go too quickly, you may struggle to focus on your book or burn out your muscles too fast.

We recommend taking the class above more than once so that you really get the hang of working out while reading. Then, you can try other exercises on your own while reading, or you can try another workout class from our Exercise & Stretch While Reading Playlist!

Of course you can listen to an audiobook while you work out—and we actually recommend trying to workout while listening to an audiobook if reading a hard copy book is too difficult for you.

During the course of the barre class above, I, as your instructor, will let you know when a good place to pause your reading and transition to the next set of exercises is. If you listen to an audiobook instead, you can physically pause your book’s recording, too, during those transitions.

We actually have tons of “reading while doing yoga” videos for you to check out, too! These are even easier to follow along with than the barre class above because they take things even slower, and you won’t likely feel any muscle “burn” while joining them.

Doing yoga while reading is another great place to start if you find the barre class too difficult to keep up with. When we perform yoga while reading, we focus more on loosening the muscles and gaining flexibility—not toning the muscles and building stamina. That’s why doing yoga while reading may also feel “easier”.

If you struggle to follow the whole barre class all the way through, try setting your video playback speed to 1.5x, 1.75x, or even 2x faster so that the exercises don’t last as long for you. However, keep performing repetitions at your own pace—not too quickly. This is one way to make the routine shorter for you!

Remember that you can always modify exercises to fit your needs, too. So, if the leg lifts become too overwhelming for you, remember that you don’t need to lift your leg all the way to hip height. And, as we always say, take breaks from exercises as needed, and just keeping reading until the next set of exercises roll around!