I mean that in the nicest way.

And actually, it was my hamstrings that hurt – a good hurt – for days afterwards.

The lovely people of Pure Barre in Woodland Hills invited me to bring my friends and try one of their classes a few weeks ago. So one balmy spring morning, I and three of my friends (plus one sleepy little guy) drove east of Calabasas (I KNOW!) to check it out.

Pure Barre is in a multi-use building with parking on the roof, and plenty of it. You check in at the front desk and take off your shoes – no shoes on the classroom floor. You must wear socks to keep your feet and ankles warm because they will be working hard!

Every class has the same general format. There’s a warm-up, a series of exercises for each body part, and then a great stretching cool-down. There are floor exercises, standing exercises, and barre exercises that have nothing to with ballet, really, which is what I had thought before coming into the class.

There are also props – stretchy bands, balls, and hand weights, but all of that is provided so you don’t need to bring any.

The exercises themselves are small movements. You isolate one muscle, it seems, and then squeeze the heck out of that muscle a bunch of times, then finally relax. It was hard – but not so hard that I felt like I had to give up. I rested plenty of times, but the instructor was always there to encourage me and keep me going.

What this mother of 2 loves is that the class is not bouncy. I like dancing and Zumba and boxing, but all the bouncing in those classes makes me feel like I have to excuse myself, if you know what I mean. I didn’t experience that here at Pure Barre. I got a tough workout that left me sweating and sore, without the worry that I’d have to run out of the room.

(Kids not usually allowed in the studio, FYI!)

Pure Barre Woodland Hills has a full roster of classes so you can find something to fit your schedule. They sell them in packs or you can pop in for an individually priced class, too.

Pure Barre Woodland Hills
21728 Ventura Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91364 US

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