Connect
WOMEN WHO INSPIRE US ONE STEP AT A TIME
When Gail Evans first tried barre3 last fall, it was love at first Power Leg. “I was hooked very quickly,” says the grandmother of 12. “The level of individual attention was noteworthy. I could tell that the instructors were really attentive. I can’t say enough about barre3—and I know the other ladies feel the same way.”
The other ladies are Gail’s walking buddies: A group of women ranging from their early fifties to early seventies who’ve been getting together every morning since 1997. Members have come and gone over the years (Gail joined about six years ago), but one thing has remained the same: meeting at 5:50 AM daily to stroll around Alexandria, VA.
“Not everyone comes every day, but because there are so many of us, we tend to walk in the street,” she explains.
“Traffic is not in rush-hour mode at that time of the morning. We’ve made friends with the bus drivers, the trash truck drivers, the sidewalk cleaners—people see us coming and they know who we are.”
The group—cheekily nicknamed the “Women of the Streets” or the “Streetwalkers”—typically logs a 3-4 mile loop back to their meeting point. But last September, they found a new destination: the just-opened barre3 Old Town. Gail led the way.
“I’d tried several other barre studios, but none of them really wowed me. Then I heard about barre3 doing free pop-up classes before it opened, and I started going. I’m not a demanding person, so I didn’t want to say ‘Oh, you’ve gotta do this.’ to the group, but I really, really liked it. One by one, they started to come to barre3 with me. Then texts and emails began materializing about taking class at 5:45 AM, which is right around the time we normally meet.”
The group quickly became regulars, carrying their camaraderie into the studio some days, still walking miles on others.
“Adding barre3 was a very good choice, and I think the others would concur,” says Gail. “They’ve certainly noticed physical changes. I know I’ve lost inches off my waistline and hips. In fact, one of our friends fell off a horse a few weeks ago out in Utah, and she broke several bones, but she attributes barre3 for preventing more significant injuries.”
With the added oomph of B3 and the natural pep in their step, the walking group has stuck together through setbacks and surgeries, keeping each other accountable every single day.
“If we do not see a walker for a few days, someone will always reach out and check in. Just the fact that we are there for each other in so many ways, and we can count on members of the group. That makes it special. When we’re together, it’s so good to catch up—and we’re lucky we are able to exercise at the same time.”
When Gail Evans first tried barre3 last fall, it was love at first Power Leg. “I was hooked very quickly,” says the grandmother of 12. “The level of individual attention was noteworthy. I could tell that the instructors were really attentive. I can’t say enough about barre3—and I know the other ladies feel the same way.”
The other ladies are Gail’s walking buddies: A group of women ranging from their early fifties to early seventies who’ve been getting together every morning since 1997. Members have come and gone over the years (Gail joined about six years ago), but one thing has remained the same: meeting at 5:50 AM daily to stroll around Alexandria, VA.
“Not everyone comes every day, but because there are so many of us, we tend to walk in the street,” she explains.
“Traffic is not in rush-hour mode at that time of the morning. We’ve made friends with the bus drivers, the trash truck drivers, the sidewalk cleaners—people see us coming and they know who we are.”
The group—cheekily nicknamed the “Women of the Streets” or the “Streetwalkers”—typically logs a 3-4 mile loop back to their meeting point. But last September, they found a new destination: the just-opened barre3 Old Town. Gail led the way.
“I’d tried several other barre studios, but none of them really wowed me. Then I heard about barre3 doing free pop-up classes before it opened, and I started going. I’m not a demanding person, so I didn’t want to say ‘Oh, you’ve gotta do this.’ to the group, but I really, really liked it. One by one, they started to come to barre3 with me. Then texts and emails began materializing about taking class at 5:45 AM, which is right around the time we normally meet.”
The group quickly became regulars, carrying their camaraderie into the studio some days, still walking miles on others.
“Adding barre3 was a very good choice, and I think the others would concur,” says Gail. “They’ve certainly noticed physical changes. I know I’ve lost inches off my waistline and hips. In fact, one of our friends fell off a horse a few weeks ago out in Utah, and she broke several bones, but she attributes barre3 for preventing more significant injuries.”
With the added oomph of B3 and the natural pep in their step, the walking group has stuck together through setbacks and surgeries, keeping each other accountable every single day.
“If we do not see a walker for a few days, someone will always reach out and check in. Just the fact that we are there for each other in so many ways, and we can count on members of the group. That makes it special. When we’re together, it’s so good to catch up—and we’re lucky we are able to exercise at the same time.”
