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Day in the Life of barre3 Superstar Robyn Downs
If you’re looking for Robyn Downs, you’ll find her nearly every day taking class in the same spot at the barre by the window. (We joke that she deserves an honorary plaque with her name on it.) Her mother is usually right there next to her shaking and quaking away — they’re quite the duo.
Robyn doesn’t just motivate our community here in Oregon, she inspires thousands worldwide in their journey towards whole-body health. Her message is simple and best shared in her own words: “If I can do it, anyone can. Before I found barre3, I was starting to accept that I’d just be heavy. I was so successful in every other part of my life. I had a great job, a loving husband, a healthy daughter, wonderful friends and family. But it frustrated me that I couldn’t figure out how to take care of myself.”
Since September of 2012, Robyn has lost over 50 pounds, and she feels as amazing as she looks. Now, she’s on a mission to help others achieve their health and fitness goals. Read on to get a glimpse into Robyn’s life—you’ll definitely want to adopt some of her uber-healthy habits.
6:30 – 8am: Wake up and make smoothies for me, my husband, and 2-year-old daughter Elle. (Our favorite is the Leafy Smoothie.) Morning smoothies are our reset button. No matter what happened the day before, we start the day strong with healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Somedays my toddler doesn’t eat much, so I’m grateful she enjoys her smoothies.
8:15am: Take a cup of tea to go and drive Elle to day care.
8:45-9:45am: Take class at barre3 Portland. I drink a bottle of water during class to stay hydrated and energized.
9:45-10am: I never rush out of the studio. These 15 minutes are my social time for the day. I chat with instructors, catch up with other clients, and check in with my barre3 friends on Facebook. I also take that time to share a recent blog post or recipe from the barre3 website.
10am – 1pm: Time for emails and calls at work. I’m the VP of Business Development for EdImagine Strategy Group, an education consulting firm. Whenever I’m on the phone, I walk around my office or do some standing leg or back-body exercises. I love that I can stay moving without getting out of breath. Throughout the morning, I have my second cup of tea and drink my second bottle of water.
1pm – 1:30: Eat lunch. Each day I make a DIY Salad or DIY Bowl. If I’m really hungry, I’ll do both. I never deprive myself. During lunch, I take time to sit and enjoy my food mindfully. I avoid eating in front of my computer.
3- 3:15pm: Time for an online or app workout! I get really tired in the afternoon, and I crave sugar. Instead of reaching for the cookie jar or taking a nap, I do a 10-minute workout. I have an alarm on my phone, and I schedule my workout into my calendar to remind me to get up and move. Adding in a short workout has been a really effective way for me to re-energize and curb my sugar craving. My colleagues used to think I was strange for doing mini afternoon workouts, but recently several of them started doing it with me!
4pm-4:30: Snack time! I usually have an apple and almonds or veggies and hummus.
4:30 -5:45pm: I walk two miles roundtrip to pick up Elle from Day Care. She comes back to the office with me and plays while I finish up a few emails.
6pm: Elle and I arrive home.
6-6:45pm: One of the highlights of my day is cooking dinner with Elle. She loves helping (and tasting!). Elle has eaten the barre3 way her whole life. She won’t eat junk food (ok, she LOVES french fries). Overall, she actually prefers whole foods.
6:45-7:15pm: My husband and I give Elle a bath, read her a bedtime story, and she falls asleep by 7:15pm.
7:30-8:30pm: While I finish up any work for the day, Andrew squeezes in his workout. My husband has been fit his whole life, but he’s become even more serious about his workouts since I’ve become more serious about mine. Exercise has become a non-negotiable for both of us, and we help each other take better care of ourselves. It’s been so great for our marriage!
8:30-9:00pm: Facebook time! I check in with my sisters and girlfriends to see how their barre3 online workout went that day. My family and friends have seen the amazing results that I’ve had practicing barre3, so they all do it now too.
9:-9:30pm: I aim to get one more 10-minute workout in while watching TV laying on the floor. It’s too much to do anything more at this time of day!
9:30-10pm: Get ready for bed and read. It’s important to me to unplug from technology and wind down to maximize the quality of sleep I get.
10:30pm: Lights out!
If you’re looking for Robyn Downs, you’ll find her nearly every day taking class in the same spot at the barre by the window. (We joke that she deserves an honorary plaque with her name on it.) Her mother is usually right there next to her shaking and quaking away — they’re quite the duo.
Robyn doesn’t just motivate our community here in Oregon, she inspires thousands worldwide in their journey towards whole-body health. Her message is simple and best shared in her own words: “If I can do it, anyone can. Before I found barre3, I was starting to accept that I’d just be heavy. I was so successful in every other part of my life. I had a great job, a loving husband, a healthy daughter, wonderful friends and family. But it frustrated me that I couldn’t figure out how to take care of myself.”
Since September of 2012, Robyn has lost over 50 pounds, and she feels as amazing as she looks. Now, she’s on a mission to help others achieve their health and fitness goals. Read on to get a glimpse into Robyn’s life—you’ll definitely want to adopt some of her uber-healthy habits.
6:30 – 8am: Wake up and make smoothies for me, my husband, and 2-year-old daughter Elle. (Our favorite is the Leafy Smoothie.) Morning smoothies are our reset button. No matter what happened the day before, we start the day strong with healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Somedays my toddler doesn’t eat much, so I’m grateful she enjoys her smoothies.
8:15am: Take a cup of tea to go and drive Elle to day care.
8:45-9:45am: Take class at barre3 Portland. I drink a bottle of water during class to stay hydrated and energized.
9:45-10am: I never rush out of the studio. These 15 minutes are my social time for the day. I chat with instructors, catch up with other clients, and check in with my barre3 friends on Facebook. I also take that time to share a recent blog post or recipe from the barre3 website.
10am – 1pm: Time for emails and calls at work. I’m the VP of Business Development for EdImagine Strategy Group, an education consulting firm. Whenever I’m on the phone, I walk around my office or do some standing leg or back-body exercises. I love that I can stay moving without getting out of breath. Throughout the morning, I have my second cup of tea and drink my second bottle of water.
1pm – 1:30: Eat lunch. Each day I make a DIY Salad or DIY Bowl. If I’m really hungry, I’ll do both. I never deprive myself. During lunch, I take time to sit and enjoy my food mindfully. I avoid eating in front of my computer.
3- 3:15pm: Time for an online or app workout! I get really tired in the afternoon, and I crave sugar. Instead of reaching for the cookie jar or taking a nap, I do a 10-minute workout. I have an alarm on my phone, and I schedule my workout into my calendar to remind me to get up and move. Adding in a short workout has been a really effective way for me to re-energize and curb my sugar craving. My colleagues used to think I was strange for doing mini afternoon workouts, but recently several of them started doing it with me!
4pm-4:30: Snack time! I usually have an apple and almonds or veggies and hummus.
4:30 -5:45pm: I walk two miles roundtrip to pick up Elle from Day Care. She comes back to the office with me and plays while I finish up a few emails.
6pm: Elle and I arrive home.
6-6:45pm: One of the highlights of my day is cooking dinner with Elle. She loves helping (and tasting!). Elle has eaten the barre3 way her whole life. She won’t eat junk food (ok, she LOVES french fries). Overall, she actually prefers whole foods.
6:45-7:15pm: My husband and I give Elle a bath, read her a bedtime story, and she falls asleep by 7:15pm.
7:30-8:30pm: While I finish up any work for the day, Andrew squeezes in his workout. My husband has been fit his whole life, but he’s become even more serious about his workouts since I’ve become more serious about mine. Exercise has become a non-negotiable for both of us, and we help each other take better care of ourselves. It’s been so great for our marriage!
8:30-9:00pm: Facebook time! I check in with my sisters and girlfriends to see how their barre3 online workout went that day. My family and friends have seen the amazing results that I’ve had practicing barre3, so they all do it now too.
9:-9:30pm: I aim to get one more 10-minute workout in while watching TV laying on the floor. It’s too much to do anything more at this time of day!
9:30-10pm: Get ready for bed and read. It’s important to me to unplug from technology and wind down to maximize the quality of sleep I get.
10:30pm: Lights out!
