Barre3 studio arrives in Canada

On Monday, barre3 will open its first Canadian studio at 325 King St. West in Toronto. The workout is a blend of yoga, Pilates and ballet barre and originated in Portland, Oregon in 2008. We’re told the “3” in the name represents balance in the three most important areas of life: “a healthy body, clear mind and a positive spirit.”

I attended an advance class today, taught by Master Trainer Catie Fahrner, and I left feeling energized. The workout consists of typical barre workout movements like isometric holds, pulses, squats and lunges, but also incorporates larger full-body movements which are designed to elevate the heart rate as low-impact cardio. In addition to the ballet bar, tools we used today included light hand weights (one- to two-pounds), a yoga mat and a barre3 Core Ball, which is basically a squishy Pilates ball.

To celebrate the opening of barre3 Toronto, the studio is offering a free week of classes (from Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)! You can sign up online at barre3toronto.com.

And luckily, the rest of Canada doesn’t have to miss out: barre3 offers a variety of workouts and recipes online at barre3.com (accessible through a subscription). You can also download the barre3 mobile app (a one-time fee of $4.99; available in the Apple Store) for on-the-go access to workouts. Plus, Nikki McAvity, VP of Public Relations for barre3, told me that there are plans to expand to other Canadian cities. Stay tuned!

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