the Importance of Meeting Somebody Where They Are At

Known for her fiery barre and Pilates classes, Charlotte Tooth has been coaching London's top boutique gyms for 10 years. She has coached Hollywood stars, royalty and top athletes in dance. Expect to leave the session with a sense of work and energy and ready to tackle the rest of the day. Charlotte has a strong focus on technique and understanding your body so you will leave with a great workout and education.

Her new class series The Barre Burn is now available on Wanderlust TV.

Tell us your story about exercise and training – what inspired you to become a coach and teach barre.

I was inspired to exercise from a young age – I've always loved sports and copied dances from TV! I started dancing at 17 and then decided that for the rest of my career I just HAVE to do something that focused on movement. I moved to London, went to stage school and there was no going back.

During my training as a dancer, I always observed the injury process of each dancer and how some dancers again performed much faster than others. I started studying the human body and then trained to be a barre instructor and personal trainer.

To this day, I specialize in injuries and help people get back to training safely. I would say helping people has always been my inspiration. I love to see people's faces when they do something they didn't know they could do, achieve a goal they never knew they could, or even get into a new habit, that you never thought would hold! The human body is amazing and my goal is to help people feel it.

Your dancing background has a strong influence on how you approach the class. Are there aspects of the dance industry that you may disagree with that you almost want to fix in your classroom?

I trained professionally in stage school for three years and I would say that most of what you learn in the dance world is positive. Discipline ensures that you train and maintain your fitness. Attention to detail for great technology. Maybe I would just respect the human anatomy more than the dance world. Everyone who comes to my courses has different limitations, both physical and mental. Everyone is on their own journey. I am there to support it, not to rush it.

Her new Wanderlust TV courses – The Barre Burn – focus on the mind-body connection. In some ways, could you elaborate on why awareness is so important to the Barre?

When I am talking about the mind-to-body connection, I am talking about being present in your body in every moment. We know that we can increase the work in the body by thinking about what we are doing, by focusing on sensations, maybe shapes, our imagination.

Muscles are not like light switches – off or on. They're more like dimmer switches that can be set to 20% or 80%. There is a sliding scale. When you think about how you are doing something, you will work a lot harder and make your time in class more efficient. The Barre Burn courses can also be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. If you concentrate fully on your body and your movements, you can really give some relaxation to a racing brain.

Is barre an integrative practice when it comes to intensity and complexity?

The main reason I have been and continue to teach Barre for over ten years is because of the inclusiveness aspect. The way I teach is that I offer different options so that you can choose what is right for your body that day. Like a movement pick'n'mix! I'm constantly giving pointers to what to feel and what to do so you always know where to push and where to brake.

You are responsible! My clients are between 17 and 69 years old, which shows that the Barre course really is for everyone.

What other exercise would you recommend to aid in barre training?

I would always recommend taking part in some high quality flexibility work. Most of us spend a lot of time in the same positions due to the nature of work / life. This can often lead to aches, pains, and even injury. Stretching regularly can really help reduce all of this, and it's incredible for your mental health too. I build stretching into every class, within the movements and at the end of each set. I've never met a person who didn't feel better because they did more flexibility work.

Which teachers or leaders in this field have had the greatest influence on you as a practitioner and as a teacher?

Niki Rein and Morgan Palmer-Bolton (the founder of Barrecore / First Master Trainer of Barrecore) are two people who were instrumental in shaping my coaching personality and style. They taught me how to interact with people during class, how to engage people and how to respect the female body. Both women were highly qualified trainers and constantly reminded me of the psychology of training and the importance of meeting someone where they are.

What is your personal training routine like?

My routine changes every six weeks, but generally it includes two preprogrammed resistance training sessions per week, two barre classes, two TRX classes, and daily flexibility work. If my schedule allows, I'll also take some ballet classes and vinyasa yoga (Wanderlust TV classes are THE ones for that). I love exercising because it's the one part of the day when my mind calms down and I get into a real flow state. I always advocate the benefits of mental health training in my classes, but I feel them every time I exercise myself.

If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would love to meet the queen of the stage, Beyonce, but not for obvious reasons. I think she has an incredible ability to handle a lot of things at the same time so I would love to see her daily routines, how she works out and what she does to keep up with her self care. She really is a boss businesswoman and I admire that. And of course I HAVE to lead them through a cheeky little barre session! Thigh Surprise Bey?