Move
Why Everyone’s Calling barre3 the Best Workout for Women
As women, we’ve been taught to override our bodies — to push harder, shrink smaller, and chase a version of strength that was never designed for us. For too long, the fitness industry has centered ideals rooted in male physiology, ignoring the hormonal shifts, emotional depth, and lived experience that shape how women move through the world. We’ve never subscribed to that narrative.
From day one, our mission has been clear: to create a practice that supports women in every phase of life — not just physically, but wholly.
Workouts for Every Stage of Womanhood
Barre3 workouts are designed to adapt with you. Our instructors are trained to offer modifications that honor your evolving needs, and we encourage you to work out in a way that supports your energy — not works against it. As Psychology Today notes, barre3 is a space that supports “self-kindness by reminding the exercisers to listen to their bodies and honour what their own bodies needed.” Because real strength isn’t found in perfection or performance — it’s found in presence, self-respect, and the radical act of listening inward.
This is fitness for the long haul. And wherever you are in your journey, we’re here to move with you.
Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program, especially if you are pregnant, postpartum, or managing a medical condition. Your body is unique — and your fitness practice should reflect that.
Early Adulthood: Building the Foundation
For many women, the late teens and early twenties mark a pivotal shift — a time when fitness can either become a source of self-care or fall into patterns shaped by pressure and comparison. Too often, fitness at this age is tied to punishment and aesthetics.
We offer a more mindful path, helping young women develop a sustainable relationship with movement — one rooted in body awareness, emotional resilience, and mental clarity. In every barre3 class, we invite you to quiet self-judgment, reconnect with your body, and lay the groundwork for a lifetime of compassionate strength.
Career Transitions & Burnout: Reconnecting With Yourself
Promotion. Layoff. Career change. Starting something new — or walking away from what no longer fits. These moments can be emotionally and physically draining, and in a culture that glorifies hustle, it’s easy to disconnect from your body entirely.
Burnout doesn’t just show up in your calendar — it lives in your nervous system. But movement can be a powerful way to reset.
Whether at home or in the studio, every barre3 workout is designed to help shift you out of stress and into presence. Using intentional movement and breath, our classes support emotional regulation and restore body balance.
As Dr. Gloria T. Han, Clinical Psychologist and Researcher, explains in a previous article on the b3 Blog:
“Diaphragmatic breathing is an effective way to physiologically relax the body, and because we know that our physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions are all connected, it allows us to balance those other aspects of our awareness as well.”
In seasons of overwhelm, barre3 offers more than exercise — it’s a space to pause, process, and reconnect.
Prenatal Journey: Trimester-by-Trimester Support
Pregnancy is a profound transformation. Working out during this time offers essential benefits — but only when it honors the body’s shifting needs.
First Trimester: Listening Inward
Energy can be unpredictable in early pregnancy. While it’s often safe to continue your workout practice, this is a time to tune in deeply. In our studios and online, instructors offer modifications to help you adapt, ensuring each workout feels nourishing, not depleting. Regular movement during this stage can improve sleep and boost mood — gentle encouragement to keep showing up for yourself.
As Lead Trainer Lisa Schale-Drake shares, “The first trimester is an exciting season of change, and while it’s generally safe to continue the movement you were doing pre-pregnancy, you may notice shifts in energy or new sensations that affect how you move. At barre3, we encourage you to listen to your body and honor what you need each day. Showing up is powerful — adjusting is strength.”
Second Trimester: Modifications Matter
As your center of gravity shifts, this trimester is an ideal time to prioritize alignment, comfort, and safe strength-building. Our prenatal workouts are designed with modifications that reduce strain while continuing to challenge your muscles in ways that support your growing body.
Lisa explains, “As you move into your second trimester, alignment shifts in the hips can create unnecessary pressure in the lower back and other areas of the body. Staying mindful of your form and movement integrity can help ease discomfort and support balance. At barre3, we focus on specific exercises and approaches that help your body feel strong and capable, while allowing for adjustments as your body continues to shift.”
Third Trimester: Moving With Compassion
These final weeks are about maintaining strength and mobility, easing tension, and preparing the body for labor. Our third-trimester workouts emphasize intuitive movement, helping you dial intensity up or down and stay connected to your body’s wisdom.
“The third trimester is a time to truly honor your body and make daily adjustments to your movement based on how you’re feeling,” says Lisa. “With your provider’s guidance, continuing to move can have a positive impact on the labor process. At barre3, we emphasize breathwork and deep core strength to help you stay connected to your body. Many clients have shared how this focus supported them not only through labor, but also in feeling strong and grounded as they began their postnatal recovery.”
Postnatal & Early Motherhood: Rebuilding With Compassion
Recovery isn’t about “bouncing back.” It’s about rebuilding strength and identity from the inside out.
Barre3 supports this evolution with gentle guidance to reconnect with your breath, rebuild your core, and move with compassion. Whether you’re returning to regular exercise, navigating sleep deprivation, or simply rediscovering what feels good, we’re here to meet you with grace.
“Postnatal recovery is not linear — it’s a deeply personal and unique journey for every mom,” says Lisa. “Your body may feel unfamiliar, and emotions often run high with the demands of caring for a new baby and the realities of sleep deprivation. At barre3, we believe in celebrating small wins: You went for a walk? Incredible. You took a shower? That’s a victory. You pressed play on a 10-minute postnatal workout? Amazing.
“We’ve intentionally created accessible, effective ways for new moms to move — whether it’s a quick online class or bringing your new bundle of joy to our Play Lounge at the studio. We’re here to support you every step of the way, because when you take time to fill your own cup, you’re better able to care for those who need you most.”
Perimenopause & Menopause: Moving Through Change With Strength
Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can disrupt sleep, mood, and energy levels — while changes in estrogen and progesterone often lead to increased fat accumulation, decreased muscle mass, and a heightened risk of bone loss.
Strength training during this time can preserve muscle, support bone health, and help manage weight gain. Research from the Stanford Center on Longevity found that resistance-based movement is one of the most effective ways to maintain well-being through hormonal transitions.
Our b3 Strength classes are designed with this in mind — offering scalable, strength-building exercises that meet you exactly where you are.
Post-Menopause & Beyond: Aging With Intention and Strength
Aging well isn’t about slowing down — it’s about moving intentionally to support longevity, independence, and joy. Our workouts are designed to maintain functional movement patterns that support daily life: reaching, twisting, balancing, standing tall. Our postures nurture strength and mobility well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
Studies show that consistent exercise can reduce fall risk, improve brain function, and increase quality of life. We believe it’s never too late to feel at home in your body — and never too soon to start.
Wherever You Are, We’re With You
At every stage — from early adulthood to motherhood, through hormonal shifts, reinvention, and beyond — your body is evolving. And barre3 is designed to evolve with it.
This is more than a workout. It’s a lifelong partnership in strength, self-connection, and compassionate movement.
Ready to find a workout that supports you wherever you are in life? Find your local studio or try one of our 2300+ on-demand workouts with 14 days free of barre3 online.
As women, we’ve been taught to override our bodies — to push harder, shrink smaller, and chase a version of strength that was never designed for us. For too long, the fitness industry has centered ideals rooted in male physiology, ignoring the hormonal shifts, emotional depth, and lived experience that shape how women move through the world. We’ve never subscribed to that narrative.
From day one, our mission has been clear: to create a practice that supports women in every phase of life — not just physically, but wholly.
Workouts for Every Stage of Womanhood
Barre3 workouts are designed to adapt with you. Our instructors are trained to offer modifications that honor your evolving needs, and we encourage you to work out in a way that supports your energy — not works against it. As Psychology Today notes, barre3 is a space that supports “self-kindness by reminding the exercisers to listen to their bodies and honour what their own bodies needed.” Because real strength isn’t found in perfection or performance — it’s found in presence, self-respect, and the radical act of listening inward.
This is fitness for the long haul. And wherever you are in your journey, we’re here to move with you.
Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program, especially if you are pregnant, postpartum, or managing a medical condition. Your body is unique — and your fitness practice should reflect that.
Early Adulthood: Building the Foundation
For many women, the late teens and early twenties mark a pivotal shift — a time when fitness can either become a source of self-care or fall into patterns shaped by pressure and comparison. Too often, fitness at this age is tied to punishment and aesthetics.
We offer a more mindful path, helping young women develop a sustainable relationship with movement — one rooted in body awareness, emotional resilience, and mental clarity. In every barre3 class, we invite you to quiet self-judgment, reconnect with your body, and lay the groundwork for a lifetime of compassionate strength.
Career Transitions & Burnout: Reconnecting With Yourself
Promotion. Layoff. Career change. Starting something new — or walking away from what no longer fits. These moments can be emotionally and physically draining, and in a culture that glorifies hustle, it’s easy to disconnect from your body entirely.
Burnout doesn’t just show up in your calendar — it lives in your nervous system. But movement can be a powerful way to reset.
Whether at home or in the studio, every barre3 workout is designed to help shift you out of stress and into presence. Using intentional movement and breath, our classes support emotional regulation and restore body balance.
As Dr. Gloria T. Han, Clinical Psychologist and Researcher, explains in a previous article on the b3 Blog:
“Diaphragmatic breathing is an effective way to physiologically relax the body, and because we know that our physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions are all connected, it allows us to balance those other aspects of our awareness as well.”
In seasons of overwhelm, barre3 offers more than exercise — it’s a space to pause, process, and reconnect.
Prenatal Journey: Trimester-by-Trimester Support
Pregnancy is a profound transformation. Working out during this time offers essential benefits — but only when it honors the body’s shifting needs.
First Trimester: Listening Inward
Energy can be unpredictable in early pregnancy. While it’s often safe to continue your workout practice, this is a time to tune in deeply. In our studios and online, instructors offer modifications to help you adapt, ensuring each workout feels nourishing, not depleting. Regular movement during this stage can improve sleep and boost mood — gentle encouragement to keep showing up for yourself.
As Lead Trainer Lisa Schale-Drake shares, “The first trimester is an exciting season of change, and while it’s generally safe to continue the movement you were doing pre-pregnancy, you may notice shifts in energy or new sensations that affect how you move. At barre3, we encourage you to listen to your body and honor what you need each day. Showing up is powerful — adjusting is strength.”
Second Trimester: Modifications Matter
As your center of gravity shifts, this trimester is an ideal time to prioritize alignment, comfort, and safe strength-building. Our prenatal workouts are designed with modifications that reduce strain while continuing to challenge your muscles in ways that support your growing body.
Lisa explains, “As you move into your second trimester, alignment shifts in the hips can create unnecessary pressure in the lower back and other areas of the body. Staying mindful of your form and movement integrity can help ease discomfort and support balance. At barre3, we focus on specific exercises and approaches that help your body feel strong and capable, while allowing for adjustments as your body continues to shift.”
Third Trimester: Moving With Compassion
These final weeks are about maintaining strength and mobility, easing tension, and preparing the body for labor. Our third-trimester workouts emphasize intuitive movement, helping you dial intensity up or down and stay connected to your body’s wisdom.
“The third trimester is a time to truly honor your body and make daily adjustments to your movement based on how you’re feeling,” says Lisa. “With your provider’s guidance, continuing to move can have a positive impact on the labor process. At barre3, we emphasize breathwork and deep core strength to help you stay connected to your body. Many clients have shared how this focus supported them not only through labor, but also in feeling strong and grounded as they began their postnatal recovery.”
Postnatal & Early Motherhood: Rebuilding With Compassion
Recovery isn’t about “bouncing back.” It’s about rebuilding strength and identity from the inside out.
Barre3 supports this evolution with gentle guidance to reconnect with your breath, rebuild your core, and move with compassion. Whether you’re returning to regular exercise, navigating sleep deprivation, or simply rediscovering what feels good, we’re here to meet you with grace.
“Postnatal recovery is not linear — it’s a deeply personal and unique journey for every mom,” says Lisa. “Your body may feel unfamiliar, and emotions often run high with the demands of caring for a new baby and the realities of sleep deprivation. At barre3, we believe in celebrating small wins: You went for a walk? Incredible. You took a shower? That’s a victory. You pressed play on a 10-minute postnatal workout? Amazing.
“We’ve intentionally created accessible, effective ways for new moms to move — whether it’s a quick online class or bringing your new bundle of joy to our Play Lounge at the studio. We’re here to support you every step of the way, because when you take time to fill your own cup, you’re better able to care for those who need you most.”
Perimenopause & Menopause: Moving Through Change With Strength
Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can disrupt sleep, mood, and energy levels — while changes in estrogen and progesterone often lead to increased fat accumulation, decreased muscle mass, and a heightened risk of bone loss.
Strength training during this time can preserve muscle, support bone health, and help manage weight gain. Research from the Stanford Center on Longevity found that resistance-based movement is one of the most effective ways to maintain well-being through hormonal transitions.
Our b3 Strength classes are designed with this in mind — offering scalable, strength-building exercises that meet you exactly where you are.
Post-Menopause & Beyond: Aging With Intention and Strength
Aging well isn’t about slowing down — it’s about moving intentionally to support longevity, independence, and joy. Our workouts are designed to maintain functional movement patterns that support daily life: reaching, twisting, balancing, standing tall. Our postures nurture strength and mobility well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
Studies show that consistent exercise can reduce fall risk, improve brain function, and increase quality of life. We believe it’s never too late to feel at home in your body — and never too soon to start.
Wherever You Are, We’re With You
At every stage — from early adulthood to motherhood, through hormonal shifts, reinvention, and beyond — your body is evolving. And barre3 is designed to evolve with it.
This is more than a workout. It’s a lifelong partnership in strength, self-connection, and compassionate movement.
Ready to find a workout that supports you wherever you are in life? Find your local studio or try one of our 2300+ on-demand workouts with 14 days free of barre3 online.
