Inspiration: Interview with Tanya from Pure Barre Vancouver

I was kindly invited to the opening of Kitsilano’s newest fitness studio, Pure Barre Vancouver this past month and had a blast! Tanya, the owner of the Pure Barre Vancouver studio led us in an exhilarating, butt-kicking barre workout, followed by some post-sweat Saje rejuvination, snacks from local sponsors like Vega, The Juice Truck and Manitoba Harvest (hello hemp seed mylk!!) and a relaxing talk about sports nutrition with a holistic nutritionist from Beyond Nourished. I had the pleasure of chatting with Tanya afterwards to get to know a little bit more about the Pure lifestyle and what Barre can do for our bodies! 

1. What/who inspires you?

2. Describe your perfect day!

My perfect day is one that slows down the pace of life and includes quiet time in nature! A perfect day would start early with coffee and a long walk outside with my fiancé and our dog, Chloe. I am happy walking in the forest especially but anywhere beautiful outside around Vancouver works well! Following this would be my favourite healthy brunch: poached egg with homemade salsa and guacamole. A midday Pure Barre class to connect with others and to re-energize me for the afternoon. And an afternoon spent visiting with friends and family, preferably out in nature again!

Barre is continuing to gain huge momentum and popularity in the fitness world because of its combination of being highly effective,challenging, and yet low-impact and accessible. Because of the low-impact isometric movements at its foundation, anyone who can hold onto the barre can reap the benefits of this effective workout. One thing I have found for myself and continue to share with others is how much of a positive impact it can make in your regular fitness routine. Barre compliments all forms of activity whether that be running, yoga, walking, or any other type of sport or fitness. Because it is low impact no matter what else you do, Barre will be a safe thing to add and since it works muscles that we aren’t used to using in most fitness activities, it helps to add tone and strength to muscles that might get missed in other forms of physical activity. I am originally a Yoga teacher and I find that barre has enhanced my personal practice because of the added strength and stability I am gaining around my pelvis, hips, and core and it has helped take all my physical interests up to another level. 

The effects of Pure Barre can be felt in your body pretty quickly and clients will notice after just a few classes how much their posture is changing in their day to day lives, with added core strength assisting them in walking and sitting a little bit taller after every class. This is where Barre is amazing because not only does it help to significantly tighten and tone the body helping women feel stronger and more confident in their bodies but it also makes a significant impact on smaller day to day moments like sitting in your desk at work.