Barre3 Brings Latest Fitness Craze to Newtown

What if you could have the agility of a ballerina, the strength of a Pilates devotee and the balance of a yogi?

Lauren Ziel, owner of Newtown’s newest fitness studio, says now you can—and you don’t have to travel to New Jersey or Philadelphia to do it.

Ziel has opened Pennsylvania’s first Barre3 studio, and effectively has introduced Newtown to barre workouts, a fitness craze spreading nationwide.

The studio, which opened this week in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, combines ballet, yoga and Pilates for a total body workout in 60 minutes. 

“We take all of our favorite things from all three practices and put them together,” Ziel said.

“It leaves you feeling stronger, more balanced, refreshed, energized and invigorated,” explained Ziel. And it leaves people wanting to come back for more. “There’s something addictive about it.”

Until Barre3 opened, Newtown was lacking a studio that exclusively offered barre workout classes.  “I knew it would work (in Newtown),” Ziel said. “If I was dying for this, I knew others were too.”

Ziel has been a Barre3 enthusiast since early 2012, when she stumbled upon the company’s online classes. “I was in love,” Ziel said. As she continued to gain experience with the fitness method, she even traveled to the studio’s headquarters in Portland, Ore., where she participated in a live class with her favorite online instructor.

Ziel went through a process to franchise a Barre3 studio and had to complete an extensive training to become an instructor. She currently employs two other instructors and said one additional instructor is in the process of getting trained.

Barre3 Newtown, located across the parking lot from Wells Fargo, has two studio spaces, plus a locker room and reception area.

You don’t have to be experienced in Pilates, yoga or ballet to participate in the Barre3 classes, Ziel said, adding each 60-minute session is for all levels. But while it may be for all skill levels, each person will receive a rigorous workout.

Your core, arms, legs and arms will be strengthened and your posture will improve, Ziel said, adding clients who attend as few as two or three classes a week notice a change in their bodies. Classes are taken barefoot on a special cork surface.

Barre3 likes "to keep it fresh," Ziel explained, adding the classes are always evolving to provide the best possible workout.

Barre3 workouts are a good compliment for runners, bikers and cross fit enthusiasts, Ziel noted.

Prices range from a $20 single class walk-in fee to a $125 monthly-unlimited pass. New clients should arrive 15 minutes early to fill out necessary paperwork.

Here’s the current class schedule (Ziel expects it to change in the fall to offer additional times):

9:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 5:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is also a noon class. On Tuesday and Thursday there is a 6:15 a.m. class.

Babysitting is available onsite for the 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. classes, Monday through Saturday. The rate is $5 per child; a 10 pack of babysitting passes is available for $45.

Click here to learn more about Barre3 workouts or visit Barre3 Newtown's Facebook page by clicking here.