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He Didn’t Fit the Demographic—1,700 Classes Later, He’s in the Best Health of His Life
When the results of the barre3 Mindfulness and Fitness Impact Survey were published earlier this year—led by clinical psychologist Dr. Gloria T. Han and confirming that b3 clients report feeling physically stronger, calmer, and more resilient in their daily lives—a note landed in Dr. Han’s inbox from someone who didn’t fit the study’s primary demographic. He was male. He was 66. And he’d completed over 1,700 b3 classes.
“I’m literally in the best physical, mental, and emotional health of my adult life,” John Magana wrote. He’s a retired engineer, a grandfather, and an exclusively studio client at barre3 Willow Glen in San Jose. He practices barre3 about 91% of the days in a given year. And his story—how he found barre3, what it carried him through, and why he keeps showing up—is one of the clearest examples of what consistency in this practice looks like.
The Class He Almost Didn’t Take
John discovered b3 by accident. It was early in the pandemic, and he was walking his dog through a park in San Jose when he came across an outdoor class. It looked like a combination of yoga, cardio, and strength training—and the instructor invited him to try.
It immediately stuck. But the soreness was another story.
“I was incredibly sore after the first week,” he says. “Seriously, I contemplated going to the ER or my orthopedic surgeon because I was so sore.”
But something about that first class had already taken hold. “I’ll never forget how kind and supportive the clients and the instructor were to me,” he says. “I truly felt like I found my tribe.”
What John Was Carrying When He Walked In the Studio
John has struggled with depression for much of his life. In the years before he found barre3, life had delivered what he describes as “a fair few gut punches”—a divorce, the loss of both his parents, retirement from a career he loved, and getting hit by a car just steps from the Willow Glen studio.
After nearly 20 years on antidepressants, he made the decision to slowly wean himself off medication. His psychiatrist asked him a direct question: what are you going to do instead of medication? His answer was exercise and psychotherapy, and barre3 became a key part of that routine.
“I’m in no way suggesting this will work for everyone,” he says, “but it definitely helped me. Breaking a sweat with friends has been hugely therapeutic.”
For John, the practice and the community aren’t separate things. The workout is where he builds strength, and the people are why he keeps walking through the door.
1,700 Classes Deep
John is determined to have the best health-span possible, and he views b3 as a key part of getting there. When you ask him what keeps him showing up, he doesn’t talk about grinding through a routine. He talks about how he feels.
“I feel amazing, recharged, energetic after every class,” he says. “Nothing hurts. I’m able to do all the things I enjoy in my retirement: getting on the floor and playing with my grandchildren, hiking, traveling, boating, wild mushroom foraging, kayaking.” He lives what he calls “the soft life of leisure now”—no more 6 a.m. classes, but still on the mat nearly every day.
He’s also clear-eyed about the practice itself. Over 1,700 classes and zero injuries—a fact he doesn’t take lightly. “Barre3 workouts are clearly science-based, well designed by a dedicated R&D team,” he says. “It’s functional exercise that will help you in all your daily activities.” And his goal: “I want to move like Mick Jagger when I’m in my 80s. I believe barre3 will get me there.”
The research supports what John has experienced firsthand. The barre3 Mindfulness and Fitness Impact Survey found that clients attending three-plus classes per week are nearly twice as likely to report strong physical functioning, almost twice as likely to report high psychological well-being, and two and a half times more likely to report using barre3 skills in their everyday lives. John, practicing nearly every day, is living what consistency makes possible.
An Ever-Evolving Practice
When you ask John what he loves about barre3 Willow Glen, the answer is simple: “The people. They’re like extended family to me.”
He’s watched the practice evolve over his five and a half years—new class formats, updated programming, the additions of b3 cardio, b3 strength, and b3 mindful flow. He loves that it never gets stale. “Barre3 is dynamic,” he says. “Constantly changing, adapting, updating, improving. Some fundamentals have stayed the same but a lot has changed. My workouts never get stale.”
An Ordinary Human
Ask John how he’d like to be introduced to the barre3 community, and he keeps it characteristically simple: “An ordinary human trying his best to live a healthy, happy life.”
He’s a recently retired engineer. A grandfather. And his new job, as he puts it, is “to be a good influence to my grandchildren and take care of myself.”
1,700 classes in, he’s doing both.
Inspired by John’s story? Find a studio near you or start barre3 online today and discover what a consistent, guided fitness practice can do.
When the results of the barre3 Mindfulness and Fitness Impact Survey were published earlier this year—led by clinical psychologist Dr. Gloria T. Han and confirming that b3 clients report feeling physically stronger, calmer, and more resilient in their daily lives—a note landed in Dr. Han’s inbox from someone who didn’t fit the study’s primary demographic. He was male. He was 66. And he’d completed over 1,700 b3 classes.
“I’m literally in the best physical, mental, and emotional health of my adult life,” John Magana wrote. He’s a retired engineer, a grandfather, and an exclusively studio client at barre3 Willow Glen in San Jose. He practices barre3 about 91% of the days in a given year. And his story—how he found barre3, what it carried him through, and why he keeps showing up—is one of the clearest examples of what consistency in this practice looks like.
The Class He Almost Didn’t Take
John discovered b3 by accident. It was early in the pandemic, and he was walking his dog through a park in San Jose when he came across an outdoor class. It looked like a combination of yoga, cardio, and strength training—and the instructor invited him to try.
It immediately stuck. But the soreness was another story.
“I was incredibly sore after the first week,” he says. “Seriously, I contemplated going to the ER or my orthopedic surgeon because I was so sore.”
But something about that first class had already taken hold. “I’ll never forget how kind and supportive the clients and the instructor were to me,” he says. “I truly felt like I found my tribe.”
What John Was Carrying When He Walked In the Studio
John has struggled with depression for much of his life. In the years before he found barre3, life had delivered what he describes as “a fair few gut punches”—a divorce, the loss of both his parents, retirement from a career he loved, and getting hit by a car just steps from the Willow Glen studio.
After nearly 20 years on antidepressants, he made the decision to slowly wean himself off medication. His psychiatrist asked him a direct question: what are you going to do instead of medication? His answer was exercise and psychotherapy, and barre3 became a key part of that routine.
“I’m in no way suggesting this will work for everyone,” he says, “but it definitely helped me. Breaking a sweat with friends has been hugely therapeutic.”
For John, the practice and the community aren’t separate things. The workout is where he builds strength, and the people are why he keeps walking through the door.
1,700 Classes Deep
John is determined to have the best health-span possible, and he views b3 as a key part of getting there. When you ask him what keeps him showing up, he doesn’t talk about grinding through a routine. He talks about how he feels.
“I feel amazing, recharged, energetic after every class,” he says. “Nothing hurts. I’m able to do all the things I enjoy in my retirement: getting on the floor and playing with my grandchildren, hiking, traveling, boating, wild mushroom foraging, kayaking.” He lives what he calls “the soft life of leisure now”—no more 6 a.m. classes, but still on the mat nearly every day.
He’s also clear-eyed about the practice itself. Over 1,700 classes and zero injuries—a fact he doesn’t take lightly. “Barre3 workouts are clearly science-based, well designed by a dedicated R&D team,” he says. “It’s functional exercise that will help you in all your daily activities.” And his goal: “I want to move like Mick Jagger when I’m in my 80s. I believe barre3 will get me there.”
The research supports what John has experienced firsthand. The barre3 Mindfulness and Fitness Impact Survey found that clients attending three-plus classes per week are nearly twice as likely to report strong physical functioning, almost twice as likely to report high psychological well-being, and two and a half times more likely to report using barre3 skills in their everyday lives. John, practicing nearly every day, is living what consistency makes possible.
An Ever-Evolving Practice
When you ask John what he loves about barre3 Willow Glen, the answer is simple: “The people. They’re like extended family to me.”
He’s watched the practice evolve over his five and a half years—new class formats, updated programming, the additions of b3 cardio, b3 strength, and b3 mindful flow. He loves that it never gets stale. “Barre3 is dynamic,” he says. “Constantly changing, adapting, updating, improving. Some fundamentals have stayed the same but a lot has changed. My workouts never get stale.”
An Ordinary Human
Ask John how he’d like to be introduced to the barre3 community, and he keeps it characteristically simple: “An ordinary human trying his best to live a healthy, happy life.”
He’s a recently retired engineer. A grandfather. And his new job, as he puts it, is “to be a good influence to my grandchildren and take care of myself.”
1,700 classes in, he’s doing both.
Inspired by John’s story? Find a studio near you or start barre3 online today and discover what a consistent, guided fitness practice can do.
