Ballet barre workouts have been around for decades (actually dating back to the 1950s with creator Lotte Berk). But they’ve become especially popular over the last few years.

"Barre has its roots in traditional ballet training, where strength and technique is learnt at the barre – think pliés, tendus and rond de jambes," says Pip Black, the owner and co-founder of Frame.

Ballet, Ballet Fit, floor ballet and barre workouts can help you to think clearer. The benefits of barre are numerous, from better flexibility and strength to more agile thinking.

This short bodyweight core workout is designed to increase your balance, improve your posture, and boost your circulation, ...

Few exercises in the United States have gained as much popularity over the past decade as barre fitness. Founded by a Jewish dancer named Lotte Berk who escaped Nazi Germany shortly before the start ...

The setup is similar to a ballet studio in that there are bars attached to the wall surrounded by mirrors, but the workout is more about strengthening and toning versus channeling your inner Black ...

Barre Body Studio is set up like a conventional ballet studio — wood floor, large mirrors and ballet barres all around. The classes are built around exercises from dance, yoga and Pilates.

Although the offerings vary at each studio, generally ballet fitness places barre-based exercises and the movements of classic ballet into a high-energy cardio context.

Ballet-inspired fitness is already a hot trend in the U.S., and now Vancouver is catching on. Another studio, the Bar Method, is opening this Saturday (October 23).