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StarBarre Harmony

A Holistic Exercise Method

How to Use the System

This detailed guide will help you begin your journey toward pain-free, harmonious movement. Whether you are:

  • Recovering from a postural- or movement-based disorder,

  • Maintaining a healthy body, or

  • Enhancing athletic performance —

StarBarre Harmony adapts to your needs.

 

Quick Start

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Short daily harmonious practice → Small improvements each time → Natural progression → Lifelong success

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Contents

Purpose of StarBarre Harmony

StarBarre Harmony is a functional, holistic exercise method designed for:

  • People without pain who want to improve daily functional abilities

  • Those experiencing postural- or movement-based disorders

  • Athletes aiming to enhance performance while reducing injury risk

The goal: feel and move slightly better after every short daily training session.

Roadmap to Success

  1. Choose Your Journey – Blue (lower body), Green (upper body), or Yellow (holistic full body). Always begin with Level-1.

  2. Learn the Exercises – Use video tutorials, ask Jax (AI instructor), or work with a human instructor.

  3. Practice Daily – Perform your 10-minute sequence every day, pain-free.

  4. Use Your Strategic Exercise – Identify the one exercise that gives immediate relief and apply it when needed.

  5. Modify When Needed – Skip or adjust any exercise that causes discomfort or pain. Aspire to finish feeling better.

  6. Progress Naturally – When a level feels easy and improvement is steady, move to the next.

What to Expect

  • With pain-free daily practice, your movements will naturally become easier and more harmonious.

  • Consistent, strategic use of your Strategic Exercise not only reduces discomfort on the go but also builds confidence in your future functional movement.

 

Warnings

⚠️ Yellow Flag – Adjustments Needed
If an exercise is not pain-free:

  • Refine movement with cues.

  • Adjust barre height, distance, or range.

  • Skip temporarily and retry later.

  • Seek help if needed.

 

🚩 Red Flag – Stop and Seek Help

  • If you do not feel better despite corrections, stop and seek professional evaluation.

Getting Started

 

Choose Your Journey

  • I experience no Postural- or Movement-Based disorders:

    • Select the Yellow (holistic) journey and progress

    • Start at Level-1 and progress at your pace to Level-5.

  • I do experience Postural- or Movement-Based disorders:

    • Common symptoms of movement-based disorders might include:

      • Pain

        • Sharp, dull, burning, or radiating pain during or after movement

        • Pain that eases with rest but returns with activity

      • Restricted mobility

        • Limited or reduced range of motion in joints

        • Stiffness, especially after rest or in the morning

      • Instability or weakness

        • Feeling of joints “giving way”

        • Muscles unable to support movement properly

      • Abnormal sensations

        • Tingling, numbness, or “pins and needles” (paresthesia)

        • Local swelling or inflammation

      • Movement difficulties

        • Awkward, uncoordinated, or unbalanced movements

        • Fatigue or discomfort during everyday activities

      • Postural changes

        • Forward head, rounded shoulders, uneven hips, scoliosis, excessive lordosis or kyphosis

      • Fear or avoidance of movement

        • Anticipation of pain leading to restricted activity

        • Hesitancy or guarding while moving

  • Select a color journey which is most appropriate to your current condition:​​​

    • Blue Journey – Lower Body: low back, hips, knees, legs, feet

    • Green Journey – Upper Body: back, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands

    • Yellow Journey – Holistic: multiple issues or full-body postural conditions (e.g., scoliosis)

  • Note: Blue and Green journeys end at Level-2, then merge into the Yellow journey, progressing to Level-5.

  • Healing is not linear—adjust your path as needed.

Learn Your Sequence Exercises

  • The StarBarre Harmony training videos provide clear cues (lines, arrows, breathing, tempo) for viewing and learning while practicing.

  • Each exercise sequence has two training videos:

    • 10-minute video: For daily learning and practice

    • 30-minute video: For studio learning and practice with an instructor

⚠️ Golden Rule: Modify or skip any painful exercise—painful movement reinforces harmful patterns.

The Daily 10-Minute Practice

  • Practice the 10-minute video of your sequence daily, ideally after rest (morning) or before activity.

  • Use a waist-height surface like a counter or railing.

  • This short daily training is not a replacement to sporting activities like running, tennis or the gym, but a suplement and reinforcement them.

  • It is reccomended to use the 10-minute version of your sequence as a warm up routine before sporting activities.

  • Think of it as “fine-tuning your body,” like tuning a violin before a concert.

If discomfort or pain occurs:

  • Recheck cues.

  • Adjust posture or range.

  • Skip temporarily and retry later.

Your Strategic Exercise​

  • Out of your sequence exercises, identify one exercise that provides the most immediate relief (local or referred pain, burning sensation, parasthesia, instability, limited motion).

  • Confirm it works with one good repetition.

  • Use your strategic exercise freely yet cleverly, whenever discomfort arises​

  • For an in-depth overview of the Strategic Exercise

Examples of possible strategic exercises according to body area disorders

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1b Prep – Lower Body Starategic Exercise

Low back, pelvis, hips, thighs, knees, legs, calfs, ankles, heels, feet

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2c Prep 1 – Upper Body Strategic Exercise

Mid/upper back, neck, scapulae, shoulders, arms, elbows, forearms, wrists, hands

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4a Prep 2 - Lumbar Spine Elongator and Shoulder Separator

Lumbar Spine, pelvis, shoulders, knees, ankles and feet

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5a Prep Foot & Posterior Elongator

Feet, calves, posterior of knees, spine

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10a Body & Leg Elongator

Feet, calves, knees, hips, pelvis, entire spine

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11a- Shoulder and Back Ratchet (Not suitable for acute pain)

Low back, pelvis, shoulders, knees, ankles, feet

Progressing to the Next Sequence Level

Progress to the next level comfortably when:

  1. All your current sequence exercises feel easy and harmonious

  2. And your movement is constantly improving.

  • If you are training with an instructor, always consult before progressing to the next level.​

Training Levels related to level of functions:

  • Level-1 (7 exercises): Basic standing postures, pain-free movement

  • Level-2 (14 exercises): More advanced daily functions like walking and reaching

  • Level-3 (21 exercises): More advanced daily functions like jogging and throwing

  • Level-4 (28 exercises): More advanced daily functions like deep squatting and lifting, balancing, pushing, pulling

  • Level-5 (35 exercises): Jumping and landing, sprinting, extreme balancing while reaching.

  • The current StarBarre Harmony levels of progression were previously referred to as Star Levels.

 

Level Progression According to Color Journey

  • The Yellow (Holistic) Journey begins at Level-1 and progresses through to Level-5.

  • The Green (Upper Body) Journey and the Blue (Lower Body) Journey each begin at Level-1 and continue only up to Level-2.

  • From Level-2 onward, both the Green and Blue journeys merge into the Yellow Holistic Journey, which continues through to Level-5.

⚖️ While this method encourages steady progress and improvement, it is equally valid to remain at the level where you feel most comfortable and which best supports your needs.

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Timeframe of Practice

  • Each StarBarre Harmony sequence has two practice videos:

    • 10-minute video for daily home practice

    • 30-minute video for studio practice with an instructor

  • Both videos use the same sequence of exercises at the same speed.

    • The only difference is the number of repetitions.

  • The 10-minute home video is short and precise, designed to fit easily into a busy lifestyle.

  • The 30-minute studio video allows ample time for your instructor to observe, correct, and harmonize your movements as you practice.

  • With each level progression, 7 new, more complex exercises are added to your sequence, but the timeframe remains the same.

    • This makes every level progression a significant functional leap.

For Example:

  • The Level-1 home video contains 7 exercises in 10 minutes

  • The Level-2 home video contains 14 more advanced exercises in 10 minutes

  • The Level-5 home video contains 35 even more advanced exercises in 10 minutes

 

Practice Support:

  • With an instructor: Weekly 1-hour sessions (studio or online) accelerate progress.

  • Without an instructor: Follow online exercise tutorials and cues carefully and ask Jax, our AI virtual movement instructor for guidance.

Expect a Non-Linear Progression

According to nature, progress is never exactly linear. Expect fluctuations from:

  • The normal daily ups and downs of life

  • Accidental movements which might always occur

  • Level and quality of daily practice

How to respond:

  • Adjust your training level to match how you feel.

  • If Level-1 feels easy and pain-free, progress to Level-2.

  • If Level-2 feels too hard, return to Level-1.

  • If Level-1 feels too hard, practice the Harmony Floor Sequence

  • After setbacks, restart at Level-1. Previous training often makes recovery faster.

The Harmony Floor Sequence

Inspired by the works and philosophies of Minnie Randell, Joseph Pilates, and Moshe Feldenkrais, the Harmony Floor Sequence is a gentle, enjoyable routine designed for everyday use.

  • This set of 10 floor exercises serves as a short, energizing warm-up—similar to a daily “dog stretch” routine—rather than a replacement for a full fitness program.

  • You can learn the sequence through the exercise pages, or with the guidance of an instructor in a studio or via Zoom. Once familiar, the entire sequence takes only about 3 minutes to complete.

  • Ideal for daily home practice on a bed or yoga mat, the routine works equally well as a morning warm-up before standing or as a calming wind-down before rest. It is designed to complement the standing StarBarre Harmony exercises, keeping both body and mind tuned for life’s challenges.

  • Perform as many repetitions as feel comfortable—typically 1–3 per exercise or direction. In keeping with a holistic mind-body approach, there’s no need to force or make movements harder. With practice, the exercises naturally become easier—just as the daily movements of life do.

⚠️ Important: Never perform exercises if you feel pain or discomfort. Stop immediately and seek professional guidance.

Purpose
roadmap
Expect
Getting started
Choose
Learn
Daily
Strategic
Progressing
Warnings
Timeframe
Top of text
Support
Up and down
Floor sequence

Copyright©2025 by Jonathan Hoffman, P.T.

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