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My Barre3 Journey: From Crippling Anxiety To Feeling Like Myself Again
We love asking people about their first barre3 class—partly because it’s so much fun to hear their reactions to a workout that’s unlike any other, but also because there’s almost always a backstory to what brought them to that first class. For Kristen Gibson, a client at barre3 Huntsville, in Alabama, that backstory was a big one. Read on to learn how Kristen learned her yet-to-be-born son needed heart surgery during the same week the pandemic hit, what she did to cope with her postpartum anxiety, and how barre3 helped her find community and feel like herself again.
Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby? The instructors in all 170+ barre3 studios across the country are trained on pre- and postnatal modifications and can help you adjust your workout throughout class. And if you’d prefer to work out at home, you’ll love our Prenatal and Postnatal Collections. You can get full access to both collections—and hundreds of other online workouts—by signing up for a free online trial today.
B3 MAGAZINE: You took your first barre3 class when you were seven months postpartum. How were you feeling at that point?
KRISTEN: It was a really intense time. Not only was I seven months postpartum, but my son was born with a congenital heart defect and had to have surgery right after he was born, so we were also seven months post-surgery for him. And this was all in the middle of a pandemic.
B3 MAGAZINE: Wow, I imagine the pandemic intensified what would already have been an incredibly stressful situation even in “normal” times.
KRISTEN: Actually, it was the same week the pandemic hit the country that we learned about his heart defect. I had my anatomy scan, and they told me the news. I had dealt with some postpartum anxiety when I had my daughter, but this time I had been having that “this is my second child, I’ve got this” feeling. But then with the virus and the news about his heart, I was dealing with a lot of trauma and anxiety.
And adding to the stress, my husband and I actually moved to another state so our son could be born at Vanderbilt Hospital, and my daughter lived with my parents while we were there. My son had his surgery right after I gave birth, and we stayed for his recovery.
B3 MAGAZINE: Did you find any relief after the surgery went well and you were back home?
KRISTEN: At first, yes—when we got home, I thought “OK, we got through this.” But then we had lots of other challenges, including some really tough feeding issues. I was still in fight mode, and I had lots of anxiety. With the anxiety and the feeding issues, I felt like I couldn’t leave the house. I wouldn’t even go to routine appointments, like the dentist. I cancelled them all. I was so isolated, but I don’t think I was even aware of it. I just had tunnel vision for my son—he was the priority, and I put him before everything else, including myself. The anxiety was crippling.
B3 MAGAZINE: Did you have support during this time?
KRISTEN: I don’t know how I would have done it without my mom and husband—they were there for me the whole time. And my two best friends went through it all with me. They were actually the ones who gave me the push I needed to start exercising again. When my son was about six months old and we had gotten past most of the feeding issues, they suggested trying barre3 together.
B3 MAGAZINE: Had exercise been an important part of your life before all of this?
KRISTEN: Always. It really helps my mental state—endorphins give me that boost to keep going. After not exercising for more than seven months, my mental health had really taken a dive.
B3 MAGAZINE: Let’s talk about that first barre3 class. How did you feel going in?
KRISTEN: I remember being in the car on the way to class and being so overwhelmed that I felt nauseous. I texted my friend and told her “I think I’m going to have an anxiety attack just driving there.” I hadn’t exercised for so long, and I felt like I had forgotten how to be with people in public. But I made it there and met my two friends. The barre3 Hunstville studio hadn’t opened yet, so this was one of the pre-opening pop-up classes.
B3 MAGAZINE: Do you remember how you felt during the workout?
KRISTEN: It was such a cathartic experience. It was almost spiritual for me because it was not only me taking this huge step in terms of getting out of the house, but also a huge step in just doing something for myself after dedicating myself to my son for so long. The workout itself was tough, but the instructor was so encouraging. I had never been encouraged in such a positive way to take modifications—and I took so many! I loved that no one was watching me to see if I was doing it “right.” There was none of that competitive nature of other workouts. I felt completely accepted and loved all the messages they sent—this is your time, take what your body needs, modifications don’t mean it’s less hard. And those last three minutes of breath work calmed my spirit and made me feel like I could conquer the rest of my day.
B3 MAGAZINE: Amazing! Did you start a regular practice right away, or did it take some time?
KRISTEN: It’s crazy – I went from not working out at all to going multiple times a week. I’m actually still wearing my workout clothes from my class today! I’ve met some beautiful people through barre3. I had forgotten how important that sense of community is.
B3 MAGAZINE: Have you noticed a change in your mental health since starting barre3?
KRISTEN: It’s made a huge difference for my anxiety. I was on medication for postpartum depression, and I was able to wean off of it slowly. I knew my body and knew it was time. But the key is that I’ve made a commitment to myself to keep exercising. For me, it’s as effective as medication in terms of my mental state.
I also started being more social, and I finally rescheduled those doctor appointments I had cancelled in those first seven months postpartum. I feel like I just wasn’t there for so long, and now I’m moving and around people again. I told my mom I feel more like myself again.
B3 MAGAZINE: I’m so grateful to you for telling your story, and I know so many people in our community are going to relate to it.
KRISTEN: I want to be honest about my anxiety because I know it might help others. We’re all battling something.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Kristen!
Are you interested in trying barre3? Book a class at your local studio or work out right from home with a free online trial today!
We love asking people about their first barre3 class—partly because it’s so much fun to hear their reactions to a workout that’s unlike any other, but also because there’s almost always a backstory to what brought them to that first class. For Kristen Gibson, a client at barre3 Huntsville, in Alabama, that backstory was a big one. Read on to learn how Kristen learned her yet-to-be-born son needed heart surgery during the same week the pandemic hit, what she did to cope with her postpartum anxiety, and how barre3 helped her find community and feel like herself again.
Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby? The instructors in all 170+ barre3 studios across the country are trained on pre- and postnatal modifications and can help you adjust your workout throughout class. And if you’d prefer to work out at home, you’ll love our Prenatal and Postnatal Collections. You can get full access to both collections—and hundreds of other online workouts—by signing up for a free online trial today.
B3 MAGAZINE: You took your first barre3 class when you were seven months postpartum. How were you feeling at that point?
KRISTEN: It was a really intense time. Not only was I seven months postpartum, but my son was born with a congenital heart defect and had to have surgery right after he was born, so we were also seven months post-surgery for him. And this was all in the middle of a pandemic.
B3 MAGAZINE: Wow, I imagine the pandemic intensified what would already have been an incredibly stressful situation even in “normal” times.
KRISTEN: Actually, it was the same week the pandemic hit the country that we learned about his heart defect. I had my anatomy scan, and they told me the news. I had dealt with some postpartum anxiety when I had my daughter, but this time I had been having that “this is my second child, I’ve got this” feeling. But then with the virus and the news about his heart, I was dealing with a lot of trauma and anxiety.
And adding to the stress, my husband and I actually moved to another state so our son could be born at Vanderbilt Hospital, and my daughter lived with my parents while we were there. My son had his surgery right after I gave birth, and we stayed for his recovery.
B3 MAGAZINE: Did you find any relief after the surgery went well and you were back home?
KRISTEN: At first, yes—when we got home, I thought “OK, we got through this.” But then we had lots of other challenges, including some really tough feeding issues. I was still in fight mode, and I had lots of anxiety. With the anxiety and the feeding issues, I felt like I couldn’t leave the house. I wouldn’t even go to routine appointments, like the dentist. I cancelled them all. I was so isolated, but I don’t think I was even aware of it. I just had tunnel vision for my son—he was the priority, and I put him before everything else, including myself. The anxiety was crippling.
B3 MAGAZINE: Did you have support during this time?
KRISTEN: I don’t know how I would have done it without my mom and husband—they were there for me the whole time. And my two best friends went through it all with me. They were actually the ones who gave me the push I needed to start exercising again. When my son was about six months old and we had gotten past most of the feeding issues, they suggested trying barre3 together.
B3 MAGAZINE: Had exercise been an important part of your life before all of this?
KRISTEN: Always. It really helps my mental state—endorphins give me that boost to keep going. After not exercising for more than seven months, my mental health had really taken a dive.
B3 MAGAZINE: Let’s talk about that first barre3 class. How did you feel going in?
KRISTEN: I remember being in the car on the way to class and being so overwhelmed that I felt nauseous. I texted my friend and told her “I think I’m going to have an anxiety attack just driving there.” I hadn’t exercised for so long, and I felt like I had forgotten how to be with people in public. But I made it there and met my two friends. The barre3 Hunstville studio hadn’t opened yet, so this was one of the pre-opening pop-up classes.
B3 MAGAZINE: Do you remember how you felt during the workout?
KRISTEN: It was such a cathartic experience. It was almost spiritual for me because it was not only me taking this huge step in terms of getting out of the house, but also a huge step in just doing something for myself after dedicating myself to my son for so long. The workout itself was tough, but the instructor was so encouraging. I had never been encouraged in such a positive way to take modifications—and I took so many! I loved that no one was watching me to see if I was doing it “right.” There was none of that competitive nature of other workouts. I felt completely accepted and loved all the messages they sent—this is your time, take what your body needs, modifications don’t mean it’s less hard. And those last three minutes of breath work calmed my spirit and made me feel like I could conquer the rest of my day.
B3 MAGAZINE: Amazing! Did you start a regular practice right away, or did it take some time?
KRISTEN: It’s crazy – I went from not working out at all to going multiple times a week. I’m actually still wearing my workout clothes from my class today! I’ve met some beautiful people through barre3. I had forgotten how important that sense of community is.
B3 MAGAZINE: Have you noticed a change in your mental health since starting barre3?
KRISTEN: It’s made a huge difference for my anxiety. I was on medication for postpartum depression, and I was able to wean off of it slowly. I knew my body and knew it was time. But the key is that I’ve made a commitment to myself to keep exercising. For me, it’s as effective as medication in terms of my mental state.
I also started being more social, and I finally rescheduled those doctor appointments I had cancelled in those first seven months postpartum. I feel like I just wasn’t there for so long, and now I’m moving and around people again. I told my mom I feel more like myself again.
B3 MAGAZINE: I’m so grateful to you for telling your story, and I know so many people in our community are going to relate to it.
KRISTEN: I want to be honest about my anxiety because I know it might help others. We’re all battling something.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Kristen!
Are you interested in trying barre3? Book a class at your local studio or work out right from home with a free online trial today!
