Essentrics® is a dynamic workout that rebalances the full body by combining stretching and strengthening exercises that take your joints through their full available range of motion. It uses continuous, flowing movements to improve posture, mobility, flexibility, and overall strength. Unlike traditional workouts, it focuses on elongating muscles while simultaneously toning them (eccentric contractions), leaving you feeling strong and energized.
Essentrics® was created in the late 1990s by Miranda Esmonde-White, a former professional ballerina. Upon retirement, she sought to design a more sustainable movement practice that worked well in a group fitness setting. The program first gained popularity through her PBS series Classical Stretch, launched in 1999, which introduced millions of viewers to the benefits of dynamic stretching and strengthening—many of whom still practice daily with these workouts, several decades later!
In the mid-2000s, the method's name was changed to Essentrics® and Miranda, alongside her daughter Sahra, have guided its growth into a globally recognized technique taught by certified instructors around the world.
Unlike other movement practices like yoga or Pilates, Essentrics® is a registered trademark to ensure the technique stays true to its roots. There are only a few thousand certified instructors worldwide, all taught through the official certification program still operated by Miranda and Sahra Esmonde-White.
This ensures each instructor is trained to the same high standards and is able to deliver a safe and effective workout that reflects the quality and integrity the Essentrics® technique was founded on.
Essentrics is for almost anyone—beginners, athletes, dancers, seniors, or anyone looking to improve mobility and reduce tension. The exercises are low-impact, so they’re gentle on joints but still highly effective for building strength and flexibility.
Whether you are just getting into being more active, recovering from an injury or surgery and looking for something to aid your recovery, or doing active rest to compliment your other physical pursuits, Essentrics® will benefit you!
While it shares some similarities with other style of movement, Essentrics® is completely unique and transformative in its design. Here are a few differences:
Yoga: While both focus on mindful, intentional movement to improve flexibility, Essentrics® prioritizes increasing mobility by building strength through your joints' available range of motion. Stretches are dynamic in nature and never held for more than a moment or two. There are no inversions or positions that ask you to bear weight on your wrists or knees; truly making it a low-impact alternative to yoga.
Pilates: Essentrics® incorporates elements of Pilates into each class, typically for toning sequences such as arm pumps and side leg lifts. However, these moves are often modified to better fit the needs and objectives of the class and are always equally balanced with dynamic stretches to immediately relieve any tension that has built up in the impacted muscles.
Dance/Ballet: Although Essentrics® originated from Miranda's career as a professional ballerina, it was designed as a more sustainable alternative that respects our unique anatomy, especially when it comes to our joints and connective tissues. For example, an Essentrics® plié is modeled after tai chi, where the turnout is determined by the strength of your gluteal muscles rather than any aesthetic ideal of perfection. However, Essentrics® does embrace the graceful, fluid spirit of dance/ballet, especially in our trademark sequences where large, flowy, full-body movements are used to rebalance the spine. Our focus on eccentric contractions to build lean and strong muscles is also heavily influenced from ballet.
Barre: Both being influenced by ballet, these two modalities have a lot in common. Some Essentrics® classes* have dedicated barre components where a chair (or barre) is used to access better muscle isolation and deeper ranges of motion. That said, use of a chair or wall is encouraged in any class to aid balance so you can focus on maintaining the form/alignment needed to achieve the class objectives.
* I do not currently offer a class with a dedicated barre component. If this is of interest to you, I encourage you to visit EssentricsTV, which offers hundreds of routines by various instructors on a myriad of topics.
Wear any comfortable, non-restrictive clothing you want! However, baggy clothing is not recommended as it may prevent me from ensuring you have safe alignment in your torso and legs. See the Class Resources page for some of my personal favorites to wear in class!
Essentrics® can be done anywhere—a beach, mountaintop, or even a standup paddle board—without any equipment! That being said, there are a few recommendations to ensure you get the most out of class as possible: a bottle of water, yoga mat, thin cushion or towel, and a yoga strap/Theraband. See the Class Resources page for more information on each as well as some recommended options to explore.
Absolutely. The movements target both large and small stabilizing muscles, thereby improving strength, endurance, and muscle tone. Because the exercises are low-impact, you can build strength safely and gradually.
Essentrics® is also an excellent form of cross-training, as it helps release tension, reduce soreness, increase range of motion, and keep your muscles and joints balanced for other sports and physical activities you participate in.
No prior flexibility is required! The exercises are designed to gradually increase your range of motion over time. Beginners often notice improved flexibility and mobility after just a few sessions.
While Essentrics® is not a medical treatment, many people have found it helpful in easing everyday aches, pains, and stiffness. Students often report relief from back pain, joint discomfort (hips, knees, shoulders), sciatica, and other nerve-related issues. It has also been shown to help with myofascial concerns like plantar fasciitis, tight hip flexors, and referred pain (when discomfort is felt in a different part of the body than the source—such as a tension headache).
It’s also often used to support recovery after injuries or surgeries (with healthcare approval), as well as to improve general mobility, balance, posture, and flexibility as we age. By rebalancing muscles and gently decompressing joints, Essentrics helps us be able to move with more strength and ease.
Essentrics® provides a pain-free workout experience. Follow the verbal cues in class to correct alignment, and you'll walk away feeling strong, flexible, and energized. If you're new to being active, you may notice some mild muscle soreness the next day, but it's the good kind of ache—a sign your body is start to awaken and adapt!
Many people feel lasting positive changes practicing Essentrics® just 2–3 sessions per week, while others prefer daily short sessions to help maintain energy and reduce tension. Whichever approach you choose, consistent practice will help improve your posture, strength, and flexibility. The great news is that you can always supplement in-person classes with on-demand classes on Essentrics TV or one of many Essentrics® DVDs.
Essentrics® TV is an incredible resource with hundreds of classes led by master instructors. You can filter classes by length, style (standing, floor, barre), goals (pain relief, posture, toning, etc.), or even target body area, etc., so you are always just a few clicks away from a fantastic class.
However, many people get overwhelmed searching through so many options and prefer the ease of showing up to class knowing they'll get an effective, well-rounded workout. We follow the same routine for eight weeks, which allows us to go deeper each week and explore new aspects of familiar movements. This repetition builds a sense of safety that then allows you to challenge yourself more.
Perhaps the most important benefit of live classes is receiving personal feedback. Proper alignment is key in Essentrics® to avoid strain on the knees and compression in the spine. Even long-time Classical Stretch viewers are often surprised to discover they have internalized incorrect alignment patterns that have prevented them from experiencing the full therapeutic effects that Essentrics® can provide.
For the best experience, I encourage all students to combine live classes with me at least once a week with classes on Essentrics® TV. Use what you learn with me to practice safely and effectively at home, while benefiting from the wide variety of routines they offer. Click here to start a 14-day trial and see how the two options complement each other beautifully.
Improving balance by strengthening the connective tissues in your feet and ankles is a key component of every Essentrics® class; therefore, it is best practiced barefoot. You can choose to keep your socks on if that makes you more comfortable, just be aware that socks may impact your traction on your mat.
Most classes include a floor element for additional stretching and/or toning. Unless your doctor has specifically advised against it*, it is highly encouraged that every student participate. Even if it takes you a few extra moments, being able to get down and up from the floor is a key requirement for living independently in our older years. (Sit/stand tests are even used as a key indicator of longevity!) We will practice safe methods for transitioning between positions and, with time, you'll start to gain confidence spending time on the floor!
* If your doctor has restricted you from getting on the floor, my current Essentrics® class offerings may not be the best fit for you. I encourage you to look into EssentricsTV, where you can search for standing-only and/or standing and chair routines.