Nourish
Beyond the Barre: Breathe Big
When Oregon State University’s star linebacker, Michael Doctor, injured his ankle, he tried everything to heal it. Then his trainer suggested barre3. One class and he was hooked—and not just because owner Robin Jones handed out barre3 brownies afterward! Read on to find out how this tough football player—who’s now an NFL free agent with a stellar chance of getting picked up by a team this August—was humbled by his first class, how the barre3 mantra “breathe big” helped his game, and why he intends to practice barre3 even beyond his football career.
I played linebacker for OSU, and I fractured my left ankle during the 2013 football season. I was working with the school’s athletic trainer in rehab, and we were trying all kinds of things to make it better. I did some yoga and pilates, but I wasn’t improving as much as I’d hoped.
Then the trainer told me about barre3. She said it combined yoga and pilates and ballet all in one, so it would be a great way to improve my balance and stability. I had never heard of it before but I figured it couldn’t hurt, so I gave it a try.
Oh man, that first class! It was a winter day, and the owner of the Corvallis studio, Robin Jones, was the instructor. I’ll be honest, when I walked in and saw a few women in their 60s, I thought, if they can do this, I can for sure do it. But then we started class, and we were working all these muscles I don’t usually work, and it was really challenging. I was humbled. I just kept thinking, “man, I respect this class!”
As a football player, I’m used to doing really intense workouts, but barre3 was different. I was really struck by how much emphasis there was on balance and keeping your core tight. That really helped me heal my ankle, and it built my core strength—all of which helped me out on the field.
But the thing that hit home the most—and changed my football game—was barre3’s focus on breathing big. Robin started that first class by telling us to take deep breaths, and throughout the workout she reminded us to breathe deeply. I went into spring ball two weeks after that class, and at one point I was out on the field, really pushing myself, and I remembered Robin saying “take deep breaths.” I consciously did it, and it changed everything. Now anytime I’m tired, either out on the field or during workouts, I hear Robin’s voice in my head telling me to breathe big.
I’ve recruited just about everyone I know to try barre3. I convinced a lot of guys on the OSU team to go. We’d go to class on Saturdays after crazy heavy lifting sessions, and it would restore our energy levels. I recruited my girlfriend and her mom and her aunts and uncles to go, too, and they still go to this day. I take classes anytime I’m back in Corvallis, and when I have free time on the road I try to find studios. Even when I’m done with my football career, I plan to keep doing barre3. I know if I do, I’ll never get out of shape.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman—you have to be a warrior to do barre3. I want to be in the NFL Hall of Fame one day, and I know barre3 can help me do that. My advice to anyone is that if you want to improve your life spiritually, mentally, and physically, go to barre3.
When Oregon State University’s star linebacker, Michael Doctor, injured his ankle, he tried everything to heal it. Then his trainer suggested barre3. One class and he was hooked—and not just because owner Robin Jones handed out barre3 brownies afterward! Read on to find out how this tough football player—who’s now an NFL free agent with a stellar chance of getting picked up by a team this August—was humbled by his first class, how the barre3 mantra “breathe big” helped his game, and why he intends to practice barre3 even beyond his football career.
I played linebacker for OSU, and I fractured my left ankle during the 2013 football season. I was working with the school’s athletic trainer in rehab, and we were trying all kinds of things to make it better. I did some yoga and pilates, but I wasn’t improving as much as I’d hoped.
Then the trainer told me about barre3. She said it combined yoga and pilates and ballet all in one, so it would be a great way to improve my balance and stability. I had never heard of it before but I figured it couldn’t hurt, so I gave it a try.
Oh man, that first class! It was a winter day, and the owner of the Corvallis studio, Robin Jones, was the instructor. I’ll be honest, when I walked in and saw a few women in their 60s, I thought, if they can do this, I can for sure do it. But then we started class, and we were working all these muscles I don’t usually work, and it was really challenging. I was humbled. I just kept thinking, “man, I respect this class!”
As a football player, I’m used to doing really intense workouts, but barre3 was different. I was really struck by how much emphasis there was on balance and keeping your core tight. That really helped me heal my ankle, and it built my core strength—all of which helped me out on the field.
But the thing that hit home the most—and changed my football game—was barre3’s focus on breathing big. Robin started that first class by telling us to take deep breaths, and throughout the workout she reminded us to breathe deeply. I went into spring ball two weeks after that class, and at one point I was out on the field, really pushing myself, and I remembered Robin saying “take deep breaths.” I consciously did it, and it changed everything. Now anytime I’m tired, either out on the field or during workouts, I hear Robin’s voice in my head telling me to breathe big.
I’ve recruited just about everyone I know to try barre3. I convinced a lot of guys on the OSU team to go. We’d go to class on Saturdays after crazy heavy lifting sessions, and it would restore our energy levels. I recruited my girlfriend and her mom and her aunts and uncles to go, too, and they still go to this day. I take classes anytime I’m back in Corvallis, and when I have free time on the road I try to find studios. Even when I’m done with my football career, I plan to keep doing barre3. I know if I do, I’ll never get out of shape.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman—you have to be a warrior to do barre3. I want to be in the NFL Hall of Fame one day, and I know barre3 can help me do that. My advice to anyone is that if you want to improve your life spiritually, mentally, and physically, go to barre3.
