Back at barre3

There are only a handful of things on this Earth that make me as happy as barre3 does. Everything about the warm and inviting studio, friendly faces and happy instructors gives me SO much energy, feelings of accomplishment and overwhelming joy. I could write ten thousand love letters to this company, my specific studio and everyone who plays a part in my ability to exercise there each week, but I will try to keep this brief.

My journey with barre3 began last February, when I signed up for a free class hosted by a campus rep group on campus at UTK. Me and my two roommates loaded up and thought we would just get a free workout in and have fun. Little did we know we would all fall in love with this exercise avenue. Actually, one of my roommates who went with me is probably more obsessed with barre3 than I am!

After that first class, we signed up for the 3 classes for $30 deal, then we all three luckily won a giveaway for 2 weeks free! The rest is history. I have been sweating, laughing, crying (lol, not really but almost), toe tapping, you name it, since. I hit 50 classes, then 100 and now I am barreling my way toward 250. Nothing changes my mood faster, lifts my spirits and empowers me more than what happens in those four walls.

You see, I have never, ever enjoyed exercising. I feel like I literally want to die when I try to run, tennis makes me overheat and I get super self conscious and embarrassed at a traditional gym. It’s so odd, because sweating and moving my body at barre3 is actually one of the places I feel closest to God. *What???* Yes, I feel closest to God when I am there.

I think this is simply because I had never even thought about thanking God for my health, my physical wellness, ability and financial opportunity to exercise before taking a class at barre3. I used to just wake up each morning and say, “Thank You for allowing me one more day, God,” but I never really focused on the physical blessing of being alive and healthy. When I’m there, this almost constant prayer of gratitude radiates throughout my entire spirit. My heart is literally singing, “Thank You God for allowing me to be here today. Thank You for giving me the ability to move and enjoy this time. Thank You for the financial freedom You have given me to continue paying for this.”

In the first two or three classes back since quarantine, I almost had tears in my eyes from the sheer gratefulness I was experiencing. I can be really ungrateful in other aspects of my life, so without barre3 during those first few months of COVID-19, I noticed myself slowly slipping into the thoughts of, “I have gained so much weight,” “I look nothing like I looked on the day of our wedding.”

I really stuck with the online barre3 workouts for the first two months, but my heart just simply wasn’t in it. I wanted to give up, sit down, just anything to stop the entire 30-60 minutes. I was always picking 30 minute classes because I just wanted to get it over with. My neighbor and Preston completed the workouts with me to keep me motivated, and that truly did help so much! But I craved the physical comfort and welcomeness I experience at barre3 Knoxville, and I have never been happier to walk in an exercise studio in my life as I was on that first day back in person.

I have been to six classes since I started going again, and each time I remind myself to never take it for granted again! The studio is doing so much to keep us all safe. They require masks be worn until you’re in your designated class spot, limit class sizes to 8, distribute sanitized props to each person, the list goes on. I have never felt at risk during my few classes back.

Well, I will stop gushing about this place, but really if you have ever thought about going, please don’t hesitate to try it out! You never know, it could be as life changing for you as it has been for me. I am going to link a few of my favorite workout pieces I have gotten to fall in love with all over again during this time back.