Find Your Graceful Strength with the Stretching Strap

The last post in our blog series of giving props to our props leads us to the stretching strap. The strap is approximately 51”, double looped, and reinforced with double edge stitching. This makes it not only sturdy and reliable as a force to show your grit, but also a device to demonstrate your grace. No matter the manner in which it is used, it helps you to push forward and pull upward as you build your graceful strength. Keep reading to learn more about how we use the stretching strap in barre class, and why it might just end up becoming your favorite prop.

GRIT:

If you’ve taken a Bar Express or Bar Method Cardio class, then you’ve likely experienced floor core and the fire it starts in your abdominals. Floor Core is one of our newer abdominal exercises that utilizes the leverage from the straps looped around the barre in a position designed to help you target your deepest layer of abs. In this exercise, press down with your hands on the bottom loop embroidered with The Bar Method logo. Soften your elbows, and lengthen your neck to keep the work out of your shoulders. Apply force to the straps as you hold your pelvic tilt and perform the leg choreography. We love using the strap like this so much, we recently added them to our newest fold-over variation. Show your grit, persevere through the burn, and love the results!

GRACE:

We’ve all felt that wave of peacefulness run through us at the end of class when the teacher announces over the mic “Take the strap laying on your right side, and loop it over the balls of your feet. Straighten your legs and exhale deeply.” Ahhhhh, you made it! Now it’s time for your reward for pushing out just one more rep, when it would’ve been easier to quit. Your strength got you this far, and now it’s time to let your graceful side glow. We are all unique, and the stretching strap was designed with that in mind. The material (high quality canvas) and the construction (double looped), make it a useful stretching tool for students with varying degrees of flexibility. If you have tight hamstrings, hold onto the lower loops to let out the slack of the straps. If you are more flexible, hold onto the upper loops to pull the strap tighter and get a deeper stretch. Students love their newfound flexibility from using the stretching strap so much, they often get caught clutching onto it as they walk out of the studio. We understand… we don’t want to let it go either!

Head over to our online store to purchase your own stretching strap or any of our other high quality barre props.