Raising the barre for the ultimate workout

Madonna — queen bee of fitness trend-setting — has done it again. Having extolled the virtues of yoga, Pilates and various high-energy dance regimens, she's taken up Barre3, a workout that reaps the results of all three in one go.

Barre3 was devised by yogi and US fitness trainer Sadie Lincoln, on the premise that using the ballet barre in unusual ways is how to attain that elusive "dancer's body" — without the lifelong training. Said to combine the grace of ballet with the strength and conditioning elements of traditional Pilates and the stress-relieving benefits of yoga, it seems like the ultimate workout. But does it work? Clad in the latest Lytess "slimming leggings" (£44.99; glam4less.co.uk) I set off for Covent Garden's Gymbox to try London's new ballet barre workout, Yobilates.

Professional dancer and Yobilates teacher Loren Barclay says: "While Pilates exercises the stomach's core muscles, ballet and yoga challenge our natural balance and improve flexibility. Using the barre to align the body correctly and perform resistance exercises ties it all together."

The result is a fast-paced series of movements that flow continuously against a backdrop of classical and upbeat music. An initial warm-up involves finding your "neutral spine" — the basic foundation for all Pilates moves — before ballet-derived port de bras arm circles are introduced to mobilise the shoulder muscles.

Alternating exercises for the upper and lower body, we move onto the barre itself for movements that use the body's natural resistance to improve muscle tone. Chaturanga (the foundation of almost every yoga class) is performed against the barre in an exercise similar to a press-up to work the pectoral muscles of the chest and the deltoids in
the arm. This is followed by a set of leg raises performed against the barre.

Next, it's legs that get the Yobilates treatment. Pliés are done with the hips turned out as ballet directs, but combined with Pilates' alignment of the spine to work the inner thighs and core muscles simultaneously. Rising up and down onto my tiptoes (relevé), to work the hamstrings and calves, we finish with some classic yoga stretches and breathing techniques to cool the body and focus the mind.

"The advantage of this workout is that it relies on using the barre or the floor as a counterweight to push into — be it with the arms or legs," says Loren, who advises doing the 45-minute workout two to three times a week to see results quickly. "The result is long, lean muscle tone that's in proportion to your natural body shape —rather than adding bulk, which can happen after using free weights."

While it's unlikely to raise your heart rate significantly to burn calories, the emphasis on balancing the body makes Yobilates ideal for regular runners or cyclists in preventing injury. Thanks to the principle of perfect posture, it's ideal for Londoners who spend hours slumped over a desk and/or lugging a handbag the weight of a small child around on a daily basis.

I walk out feeling three inches taller and ever so slightly more graceful. A few more classes and maybe I'll even have arms like Madonna.

Yobilates classes are at various Gymbox locations from November; £8 for non-members, gymbox.co.uk

LONDON'S BEST FUSION FITNESS CLASSES

The Pilates K Rebounder class combines the strength and toning exercises of dynamic Pilates with a low-impact cardiovascular workout on a mini- trampoline, £18 per class; pilatesk.co.uk