Welcome back to your happy place! As we reopen our doors in Phase 2, read on to learn more about the update safety measures we have put in place to keep the studios as safe and sanitary for the community. We have missed you all!

Safe Entry

Everyone who walks through our doors will need to scan the Safe Entry QR code, as per government guidelines. You can find the QR code at the entrance of each studio, and also at the reception. Don’t forget to check out after your class!

Mat allocation

Once our friendly FOH has checked your attendance, you will be allocated a mat number. This is to ensure proper safe distancing, as well as facilitate contact tracing if ever the need arises. Each mat number also corresponds to the number at the barre, to give you a designated space to work out safely in.

Mat numbers are clearly marked on the floor, but if you’re still confused, do check out the chart that’s displayed on the door to the studio! It will also show you where each mat is situated.

Dressing room capacity

Our dressing rooms now have a maximum capacity of 4 people at any given time. Do check before heading in, and if there’s already 4 people in there, do wait till someone has left before entering. As there might be a queue to enter the dressing room, we ask that you keep your time in there swift and intentional, so that others can enter.

The maximum time limit in the dressing room is 10 minutes. At this time, all shower facilities are closed. If you need to freshen up, feel free to use the antibacterial wet wipes provided in the dressing room. Our hairdryers and straighteners are still available for you to doll up with!

Safe distancing in class

You will always have a 2m gap between you and your barre-dy in class, whether at centre floor, or at the barre! Between groups of 5, there will be an additional distance of 3m, for that added layer of safe distancing, so you’ll always have lots of personal space and room to move without a worry!

Mask policy

Do wear your mask when you enter the studio, and keep it on before the class. If you’re comfortable, you have the option of taking off your mask off any time during the class once it has commenced. We suggest bringing a small pouch or plastic ziplock bag to store your masks hygienically during the class. If you’ve forgotten to bring a pouch for your mask, do request for a paper towel from your instructor before the class starts, so you can put aside your mask mindfully. All FOH and instructors will be wearing their mask throughout their time in the studio – don’t worry, we are smiling underneath those masks!

Latecoming

Due to the increased safety measures, all classes will commence  promptly on time. Do arrive at the studio at least 10 minutes before class, so that you can check in on Safe Entry, we can allocate you a mat and our friendly FOH have ample time to help get you settled into class! Unfortunately no late-comers will be allowed into class, not even a minute, so please do come early to help us manage the traffic flow and safe-distancing measures.

Have fun back at WeBarre! We can’t wait to welcome you back in the studio!

The post Updated Safety Measures at Your Favorite Barre Studio appeared first on WeBarre.

Need that extra push to keep yourself motivated to show up for your virtual WeBarre class? All you need is a simple mindset shift, thanks to these 3 easy tips!

As convenient as virtual classes are, sometimes it can be way tougher to keep yourself accountable and pushing yourself all the way through because you’re not in the same studio as your barre-dies, with your favorite instructor cheering you on to get through the final fiery pulses.

In fact, even rolling out your mat and getting yourself online can even harder than making the commute to the studio. Especially if you’ve made it a habit to hit the barre for a morning class before heading into the office, or getting that post-work de-stress sweat sesh before calling it a night. When you’re already home, it’s just too easy to fall into the trap of lethargy and apathy.

And we feel you!

Set Small Goals

One of our favorite hacks to get ourselves pumped up even when morale is low is to establish a series of small and achievable steps. That way, a mammoth task becomes bite-sized and simple.

Even the WeBarre workout is designed that way. Most people, especially newbies to fitness, get intimidated by the idea of working out for a full hour. However, when it’s broken down into 10-12 minute sections targeting the different areas of the body, the workout suddenly seems much more manageable that way.

So, instead of looking at your home workout as a mammoth task, break it up! For example, your task list leading up to your workout can look like this:

• Roll mat out
• Drink some water
• Change into activewear
• Set device up
• Click on class link
• Say hi to your instructor!

Isn’t that easy? Each step takes less than a few minutes to complete, and you’re all set to sweat!

Count Every Win

According to research, each time you experience success, your brain gets a spike in dopamine aka the “feel good” hormone. And that doesn’t matter if the success is a big one, like running a 42 km marathon, or a small one, like making your bed in the morning. The key here is to turn your tasks into goals. So when you’ve completed a task, celebrate its completion as a success!

In fact, dopamine plays a key role in keeping us focused on our goals. It motivates us to attain them, rewarding our attention and achievement by making us happier. Hence, the more we work towards your goals, the better we feel.

Let’s take the pre-workout task list from the previous section, and look at completing each step as a win. Even before your workout has started, you’re already coasting on not just one, but SIX successes. You’re not just a winner before warmups – you’ll even feel like a winner!

Focus on the Immediate Next Step

While it’s great to look at the big picture, at times it can backfire on you. For example, even before you’re getting ready for your class, you’re already thinking thoughts like, “Oh, I’m so tired and sore from yesterday’s class, it’s going to be so tough when the burn gets intense later!”

Negative predictions like that will inevitably chip away at your motivation! So, instead of thinking 10 steps ahead even before taking the first step, turn your attention to that first step instead.

For example, instead of dreading the 5-minute cardio section, or that booty burn during your WeBarre Signature Multi-level class even before your mat is even rolled out, STOP. Just stop. Go back to your goal list, and take that first, completely painless and achievable step. Then the next, and the next, collecting your wins along the way.

By the time you’ve reached that part in the workout that you were dreading, we promise you, you’ll be having so much fun, and feeling so good. You’ll even wonder why you dreaded working out at all!

The post 3 Simple Hacks to Nailing Your At-Home Workout appeared first on WeBarre.

Calling all circuit bakers: here’s a wholesome and healthy fibre-packed snacking option that’s suitable for the whole family!

Oats are one of our favourite ingredients to bake with and oatmeal cookies are delicious by itself!

Oats contain soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre helps to lower cholesterol and stabilise blood glucose levels. The insoluble fibre aid in improving intestinal health and bowel movement.

While oatmeal cookies automatically sound healthy because of oats added into them, mass-market oatmeal cookies from coffee shops like Starbucks or sold in packaged boxes in the grocery aisle are usually loaded with compiles amounts of butter, eggs, as well as refined sugars like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and/or glucose syrup.

Glucose syrup and high fructose corn syrup has almost four times more than the calories found in one tablespoon of sugar. It may increase the risk of blood sugar, blood pressure, heart disease, obesity.

Thankfully we have managed to healthi-fy it and take it up a notch by not using any animal products or added refined sugars. We also offer both classic cinnamon and chocolatey options so you can become your own chef in the kitchen and pick your favourite flavour to make. 

Our Clean Addicts’ Oatmeal cookies have become a favourite with the WeBarre instructor team, and a staple for a quick guilt-free pick-me-up whenever they crave for cookies!

Try it for yourself!

Recipe yields: 15-20 bite-sized cookies or 6-7 medium cookies

Dry Ingredients

• 30g rolled oats
• 50g oat flour (or substitute with regular/gluten-free flour)
• 10g unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder (for non-chocolate option: replace with 10g oat flour and add 1 tsp cinnamon)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Wet ingredients

• 3g chia seeds
• 1tbs water*
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of non-dairy milk
• 20ml vegetable oil of your choice (coconut, olive oil, rice bran works well)
• 10g dried fruit of your choice (we used raisins)
• Nuts/dark chocolate chip (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 165 degrees.

2. In a bowl, combine chia seeds with water and let it sit until the mixture becomes a gel-like consistency.

3. In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients and stir evenly.

4. Mix the wet ingredients (except for dried fruit/nuts) and add the chia seed gel until well combined.

5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until they form a sticky dough. Don’t worry if it’s too wet.

5. Scoop out the dough with a spoon and shape them into round circular cookies (about 10-12g each) on a tray with parchment/silicone mat.

Make sure they aren’t too thick so that they can cook through and leave a 1.5-2 cm gap between the cookies as they will expand.

6. Now onto the fun part!
Top each cookie with dried fruit or your favourite toppings of nuts/fruits or chocolate chips.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it is slightly brown.

8. Let them cool and best consumed when they are warm to touch if you can’t resist!

These cookies keep well in room temperature for up to 7 days in an airtight glass jar at room temperature.

Tips

This is a recipe that’s super customisable so feel free to add more cinnamon or toppings.

We like to add some dark chocolate to the cacao ones for more indulgence (you won’t regret it!) and fresh blueberries, which were surprisingly good when they burst in your mouth!

If you have made this recipe, please tag @thecleanaddicts so we can see your wonderful creations!

The post A Naturally Sweetened, Gluten-free and Vegan Cookie Recipe for Guilt-free Stay-Home Snacking appeared first on WeBarre.

As the world hunkers down in their homes, we take a peek at how some of the WeBarre management team is navigating their new, inward-bound circumstances!

Anabel Chew

Our co-founder who’s living with her husband, helper and an active baby living IN her

Ever since this circuit breaker started, I’ve been SO busy! I was at first concerned what I’d do having to be at home all day, but as it turns out, I think I am actually working longer and harder. We had to close all four of our locations on 3 days notice, set up and move our entire business online in less than 5 days, prepare all the relevant communications, marketing materials, set up the backend system, train our team to teach classes online, troubleshoot, testing new grounds into the unknown… the list keeps growing! But it’s been nice being able to maximize my time more – rolling out of bed to teach a class, not having to commute and go straight from class to laptop and back to bed. Can’t complain!

Despite that, my day-to-day hasn’t changed too much for me. Before this, my day pretty much revolves around meetings, teaching classes, creating content, brainstorming and training our instructor team. Everything still runs the same now, except we’ve gone virtual.

Sometimes, I think challenges exist to see how much we can stretch ourselves and our capabilities – venturing into a virtual world that we have previously not known or tested is certainly a major challenge at this moment. Still, I’m humbled and proud of myself and our team for pulling this together. It’s also challenging not being able to see our friends and family. They keep us grounded!

To stay sane, I’ve been doing lots of meditation and mindfulness practice. I’m also catching up with friends via video calls, and keeping busy with work – I’ve got a couple of weeks to get everything sorted before I go on maternity leave! My husband and I have embarked on a mission to complete his 1800-piece LEGO set of a Porsche 911, and we are using this time to get the nursery set up.

This period has taught me that the only limits that exist are the ones we create for ourselves. Anything if possible if you set your mind and heart to it. In tough times, how quickly we pivot determines how quickly you can keep on going. At the end of the day, I don’t need to spend time with a big bunch of people to feel fulfilled. All that matters is that I have a good companion and a buddy for life to hang out with – and it helps that we have heaps of fun together.

Linda Tang

Our co-founder who’s living with her two doggies and helper

To be honest, the first week of the circuit breaker has definitely been quite stressful! Business-wise for WeBarre, we pivoted really fast. We want to make sure we were able to show up for our community, and everyone was so keen to continue to stay fit and strong and connected with us. So the first week was definitely a lot of adjusting and a lot of frantic energy as we tried to deliver the best online programme that we could. But now that we’ve had some time to settle in, I feel much calmer. Especially since I have put routines in place to help my mental wellness and to make sure I’m productive.

Before this happened, I would head out the door really quickly. My days were filled with back-to-back meetings and classes. Now, I have to be very intentional with my routines so I can differentiate when I’m working, and when I’m relaxing. In the mornings, I listen to piano classical music to wake up and then I spend some time being present with my dogs. Going to sleep, I would buffer in some time to read. It helps to shield my mind from the anxiety and to get a good night’s sleep. Also, being exposed to vitamin D and sunlight is so important. So I make it a point to go outside at least once a day, whether it’s to take my dogs for a walk or to go for a run. Or even just to reach my hand out the window just to feel the sunshine and the breeze!

Ironically, I thought that having to be isolated would be my greatest challenge, because I’m a very extroverted person! I can’t remember the last time I spent 24 hours at home, let alone every day. However, because work has been so busy, and because I’ve been so intentional with being productive, I actually haven’t felt that. I actually feel closer to some people in my life than ever because I’m able to have hour-long FaceTime conversations where I’m actually truly present and not having my attention pulled in different directions.

I’ve also been looking at new recipes to cook! Today I actually made a roasted avocado with egg and had it with toast. It was so yummy! It’s something I never had the chance to do so. I’m also trying to read more books and feed my soul. I’m learning a lot about the online workout world and new technology.

Joie Goh

Our brand communications manager and instructor who’s living with her new husband and their puppy

I’m a major homebody and I’m really enjoying this chance to stay in and away from the rest of the world. And I wish I could avoid leaving the house at all! However, because I’m currently living in a tiny studio apartment with my husband, there is no space for me to conduct WeBarre’s virtual classes from home. I married an artist, and his workspace is already more than half our apartment! Luckily, we had just bought a bigger place just a 5-minute stroll away. It was meant to be under renovation, but due to the circumstances, it’s been lying empty. So, I make the quick trek each morning over to my new place to shoot the live classes.

As a morning person who’s used to waking up early every day and teaching the sunrise classes, I’m grateful that I don’t have to alter my morning routine that much. In fact, I’m enjoying the extra 30 minutes I have each day compared to when I have to commute to our studios! I take the time to foam roll my entire body and sip on my morning coffee before heading out.

Surprisingly, my greatest challenge is maintaining my skincare discipline. This might sound vain, but when I had a busier schedule, my daily skincare routine kept me grounded and pampered because it was “me-time”. And if you know me, I’m all about my extensive and over-the-top skincare rituals! However, now that my days are essentially “me-time” all the time, my beauty regime doesn’t feel as deserved and rewarding any more. Still, it does bring me joy to have good skin, so I’m spicing it up by exploring new products and looking up new application methods.

I love learning new things, and this circuit breaker has given me the chance to pick up new skills! One of the things I’ve been working on is learning how to make selfie filters. It’s been frustrating and the learning curve is steep – it’s essentially 50% coding and numbers and math, and 50% digital art and design. But because the feeling of finally creating a successful project is so satisfying, the headache is completely worth it!

The post Barre-d In: How the WeBarre Team is Approaching Life on the Inside appeared first on WeBarre.

Fuel yourself for the festivities with this honey and sesame breakfast treat – or serve it to your guests as a nutrient-packed alternative to the usual cookies and snacks!

Ingredients

1.5 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)

3 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel and line a baking tray with parchment or baking wax paper

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Stir to mix

3. Pour the olive oil and honey and stir through the mixture evenly to make sure all the dry ingredients are well-coated.

4. Spread the granola mixture thinly on the baking tray and baking, stirring once or twice in the process for 15-20 minutes until the oats are slightly browned.

5. Leave to cool, stir in the dried cranberries and store in an airtight jar.

The post A Healthy Granola Recipe with an Asian Twist for Chinese New Year appeared first on WeBarre.

Stuck in a rut with your workout hairdo? Start the year on fleek with these easy heat-free styles!

Blooming Bun

All you need for this impressive-looking and deceptively elaborate do are several elastic bands, bobby pins and hairspray!

Start by brushing the hair free of tangles. Using your fingers, roughly separate a medium section of hair behind the right ear, taking care to avoid creating a visible parting along the scalp.

Tie off the section with an elastic band and create a loop by not pulling the ends through elastic.

Combine the ends of the first loop with the next section of hair.

Create the second loop with another elastic band, making sure that it is the same size as the first.

Repeat the earlier steps all the way across to the left ear, so you are left with 4-5 evenly-sized loops at the nape of your neck.

Create a final, tiny loop by tucking the ends of the final loop into its own elastic band.

Now the fun begins! Starting from the first loop, fluff each loop out and secure with bobby pins. There are no rules – just pull the loops apart, fluff, and pin until they resemble a large, blooming “flower” and all the elastic bands are hidden.

Once you are satisfied with how the bun looks, blast with hairspray to tame flyaways! Thanks to the many elastics and bobby pins, this style is securely enough to survive a gruelling WeBarre HIIT class!

Framed Ponytail

Upgrade your basic pony with crown-framing asymmetrical braids.

Using a rat-tailed comb, section off the hair from the very top of the head to right above the ear.

Twist the section and clip it out of the way. Repeat on the other side of the head.

For extra volume, tease hair at the crown. Alternatively, you can skip this step for a sleeker style.

Secure the rest of the hair into a smooth, low ponytail at the nape of the neck.

Unclip the front sections of the hair and start braiding! Begin at the parting with a simple three-strand braid, gathering more hair from along the hairline as you work your way down.

Once all the hair from along the hairline has been incorporated into the braid, continue to braid the section normally. Secure the ends with an elastic band.

Repeat on the other side. For the neatest result, braid along the direction of the ponytail so the braids lie flat against the head.

Cross the braids over the elastic holding the ponytail and wrap the ends around the elastic. Tuck the ends under the ponytail and secure with a bobby pin.

Tame flyaways with a spritz of hairspray, and you’re done!

The post 2 More Hairstyles to Take You From Barre to Bar appeared first on WeBarre.

Calf Release

Stiff Shoulder Remedy

Neck Relaxation

The post 3 Simple Myofascial Release Moves You Can do at Home appeared first on WeBarre.

Fact: you literally can’t go wrong with a pair of classic all-black legging. We polled our instructors for their staples, and these are the top 3 choices.

Lululemon Align Pant

You’d be hard-pressed to find any instructor who does not own a pair of these leggings! The original buttery-soft and ultra lightweight leggings, these are perfect for days when you just want to feel comfortable.

“I love the Align leggings because it’s breathable and so comfy to wear all day. It’s my go-to outfit on the plane! ” – Linda

Kydra Movement Leggings

They might look tiny while unworn, but slip them on and see your physique transform! Despite being super soft, they have excellent compression without restricting movement. The best part of these leggings: pockets!

“They are my favourite plane leggings. I get bloated and puffy on flights so the compression keeps everything in, and the pockets allow me to store my passport and phone so I have my hands free to hold my carry-on and shopping bags from duty free.” – Joie

WeBarre Signature Leggings

It’s the newest kid on the block, but these beauties have become a fast and firm favourite. The high rise waistband lies flat against the skin without digging in, and the 7/8 length is versatile for everyone (and is a flattering full-length for petite ladies). Moisture-wicking, incredibly smooth and soft to touch, they also have 4-way stretch so they don’t get in the way of your plies and arabesques. Plus, it’s eco-friendly! No part of its manufacturing process causes any harm to the environment.

“It tucks and lifts at all the right places. ‘Nuff said!” – Charmaine

“It fits like a boss! The material is like butter and I want to wear them all the time.” – Jolene

The post 3 Basic Black Leggings WeBarre Instructors Swear By appeared first on WeBarre.