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I HAD A WILD YEAR—AND BARRE3 SUPPORTED ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
Wherever you land on the fitness spectrum, and at whatever stage you find yourself in life, barre3 is designed to meet you there. For Theresa Holland, a Portland-based freelance writer and lifestyle blogger, barre3 provided the support she needed during a whirlwind year of marriage, career transition, a new home, and the birth of her son.
I’ve been working out at barre3 studios in Portland since 2017. The first class I ever took, I was hooked—a B3 believer, if you will. I’ve always been a fan of using my own body weight along with light handheld weights to strengthen and tone my physique. I liked that the class was an entire hour, I liked the emphasis on booty-sculpting, I liked that I broke a sweat, and I loved that weight loss wasn’t the focus. It was the exact workout I wanted for my body.
Through a medley of some intricate planning as well as some unanticipated circumstances, the following year was filled with a handful of major life events. I married my husband in early 2018, and we got pregnant just a few months later. Around that time, I left my day job to become a full-time freelance writer. We bought our first house later that year, and we met our baby boy on New Year’s Day, six weeks earlier than anticipated.
Within a year, I was a newlywed with a new career and a new home. But most importantly, I was a new mother. Here’s how barre3 has supported me along the way.
Countdown to matrimony
Leading up to my wedding, I was a devoted 6:00 a.m. barre3 goer. While some people definitely thought I was bonkers for wanting to work out so early in the morning, I can honestly tell you that it was the best part of my day. I really like mornings, and I’ve never been a successful evening exerciser. And, OK, maybe it also made me feel good about myself to get a sweat session in before most people woke up in the morning.
I counted down the days to my wedding with almost-daily classes, and for my bridal shower, my best girls and I all met up for a midday barre3 workout. With a destination wedding on Maui, not only was I feelin’ myself in my wedding dress, but I also felt totally confident rocking a bathing suit all week. And guess what else? I even got my friend, a San Jose barre3 instructor, to lead us in a #barre3anywhere workout the day before my wedding.
A pre-work-from-home workout
Transitioning my career to become a full-time freelancer is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And while working from home comes with a variety of perks, sometimes I missed being able to chat with my coworkers in an office setting. Attending barre3 classes before I settled into work allowed me to get out of the house and be around like-minded women. I always felt that my fellow 6:00 a.m. devotees are busy career women who know the value in an early-morning workout, and I appreciated being around them before diving in with work each morning.
Fit pregnancy
During my pregnancy, my energy levels were low at times, and I wasn’t able to do all the moves like I was before. But since I had already been working out regularly, it wasn’t difficult to keep up with a fitness routine. The barre3 instructors are immensely supportive of the pregnant women in class –– there are always a few! –– and were there to assist me with modifications.
We moved into our new house in November, and I was thrilled that my nearest barre3 studio was just a 10-minute drive away. By the middle of my third trimester, working out got a bit more challenging, but I stuck it out until it became too hard. When I needed to pause my account, the barre3 staff made it really easy on me. I ended up freezing my membership two months before my due date, which was earlier than I had planned. However, since I went into preterm labor, it ended up being only three weeks before my son was born. This made me feel better about throwing in the towel a little early!
Motherhood and beyond
My water broke six weeks early on December 31, and our New Year’s Day baby spent a month in the NICU. He was completely healthy, but he had to stay at the hospital until he learned to eat by bottle or breast. We brought him home at the end of January and cherished our time as new parents, with the three of us finally under one roof.
I started back up with classes at the beginning of March and signed my baby up for his first barre3 Play Lounge session. My sister has been taking her kids with her to classes for a couple of years, and they love coming, but I was really nervous about bringing him the first time. I knew he’d be in good hands, but I was pretty much convinced that he would cry and I’d get pulled out of class early. And what do you know? He chilled the entire time!
Even though my son was just in the other room, I drank up the “me time” like a tall glass of water. I was not only thrilled by how successful my first postpartum workout went, but also thoroughly encouraged to continue going. Plus, with a hectic schedule, an endless to-do list, and a million things constantly on my mind, it’s really nice to be told what to do for an hour each day.
Since then, I’ve been pulled out for diaper changes once or twice, but the Play Lounge team and support staff at barre3 really have it covered. Once, I came out from class to find my son being sweetly rocked to sleep outside in the sunshine.
Before having my son, I’d arrive at barre classes 15 minutes early to snag my favorite spot and get my stretch on. Oh, how times have changed! My new motherhood lifestyle doesn’t always allow me to take 6:00 a.m. classes or to work out on a consistent schedule like I was used to. Times have changed, and I’ve changed too, but through it all, barre3 provides me with the fostering and flexibility I need to stay sane, fit, and happy. It was a crazy year, and barre3 was right there with me, supporting me, the entire time.
Ready to feel the magic of barre3 yourself? Get started with our New Client Studio offer or a 15-day free trial to barre3 Online.
Wherever you land on the fitness spectrum, and at whatever stage you find yourself in life, barre3 is designed to meet you there. For Theresa Holland, a Portland-based freelance writer and lifestyle blogger, barre3 provided the support she needed during a whirlwind year of marriage, career transition, a new home, and the birth of her son.
I’ve been working out at barre3 studios in Portland since 2017. The first class I ever took, I was hooked—a B3 believer, if you will. I’ve always been a fan of using my own body weight along with light handheld weights to strengthen and tone my physique. I liked that the class was an entire hour, I liked the emphasis on booty-sculpting, I liked that I broke a sweat, and I loved that weight loss wasn’t the focus. It was the exact workout I wanted for my body.
Through a medley of some intricate planning as well as some unanticipated circumstances, the following year was filled with a handful of major life events. I married my husband in early 2018, and we got pregnant just a few months later. Around that time, I left my day job to become a full-time freelance writer. We bought our first house later that year, and we met our baby boy on New Year’s Day, six weeks earlier than anticipated.
Within a year, I was a newlywed with a new career and a new home. But most importantly, I was a new mother. Here’s how barre3 has supported me along the way.
Countdown to matrimony
Leading up to my wedding, I was a devoted 6:00 a.m. barre3 goer. While some people definitely thought I was bonkers for wanting to work out so early in the morning, I can honestly tell you that it was the best part of my day. I really like mornings, and I’ve never been a successful evening exerciser. And, OK, maybe it also made me feel good about myself to get a sweat session in before most people woke up in the morning.
I counted down the days to my wedding with almost-daily classes, and for my bridal shower, my best girls and I all met up for a midday barre3 workout. With a destination wedding on Maui, not only was I feelin’ myself in my wedding dress, but I also felt totally confident rocking a bathing suit all week. And guess what else? I even got my friend, a San Jose barre3 instructor, to lead us in a #barre3anywhere workout the day before my wedding.
A pre-work-from-home workout
Transitioning my career to become a full-time freelancer is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And while working from home comes with a variety of perks, sometimes I missed being able to chat with my coworkers in an office setting. Attending barre3 classes before I settled into work allowed me to get out of the house and be around like-minded women. I always felt that my fellow 6:00 a.m. devotees are busy career women who know the value in an early-morning workout, and I appreciated being around them before diving in with work each morning.
Fit pregnancy
During my pregnancy, my energy levels were low at times, and I wasn’t able to do all the moves like I was before. But since I had already been working out regularly, it wasn’t difficult to keep up with a fitness routine. The barre3 instructors are immensely supportive of the pregnant women in class –– there are always a few! –– and were there to assist me with modifications.
We moved into our new house in November, and I was thrilled that my nearest barre3 studio was just a 10-minute drive away. By the middle of my third trimester, working out got a bit more challenging, but I stuck it out until it became too hard. When I needed to pause my account, the barre3 staff made it really easy on me. I ended up freezing my membership two months before my due date, which was earlier than I had planned. However, since I went into preterm labor, it ended up being only three weeks before my son was born. This made me feel better about throwing in the towel a little early!
Motherhood and beyond
My water broke six weeks early on December 31, and our New Year’s Day baby spent a month in the NICU. He was completely healthy, but he had to stay at the hospital until he learned to eat by bottle or breast. We brought him home at the end of January and cherished our time as new parents, with the three of us finally under one roof.
I started back up with classes at the beginning of March and signed my baby up for his first barre3 Play Lounge session. My sister has been taking her kids with her to classes for a couple of years, and they love coming, but I was really nervous about bringing him the first time. I knew he’d be in good hands, but I was pretty much convinced that he would cry and I’d get pulled out of class early. And what do you know? He chilled the entire time!
Even though my son was just in the other room, I drank up the “me time” like a tall glass of water. I was not only thrilled by how successful my first postpartum workout went, but also thoroughly encouraged to continue going. Plus, with a hectic schedule, an endless to-do list, and a million things constantly on my mind, it’s really nice to be told what to do for an hour each day.
Since then, I’ve been pulled out for diaper changes once or twice, but the Play Lounge team and support staff at barre3 really have it covered. Once, I came out from class to find my son being sweetly rocked to sleep outside in the sunshine.
Before having my son, I’d arrive at barre classes 15 minutes early to snag my favorite spot and get my stretch on. Oh, how times have changed! My new motherhood lifestyle doesn’t always allow me to take 6:00 a.m. classes or to work out on a consistent schedule like I was used to. Times have changed, and I’ve changed too, but through it all, barre3 provides me with the fostering and flexibility I need to stay sane, fit, and happy. It was a crazy year, and barre3 was right there with me, supporting me, the entire time.
Ready to feel the magic of barre3 yourself? Get started with our New Client Studio offer or a 15-day free trial to barre3 Online.
