Almost two years ago to the day, Pure Barre Lakeway announced new ownership and a makeover of sorts. Well, PB Lakeway is still going strong because the studio just finished another makeover and rolled out new classes too.
You could say going to Pure Barre Lakeway is especially “sweet” these days thanks to the shiny new studio, updated easy-to-use software system, and class schedule. Studio owner, Jennifer Sweet (pun intended!) is passionate about sharing her love of Pure Barre with the Lake Travis area community.
“It’s crazy to see the growth in Lakeway,” says Jennifer. “The difference in only two years is astonishing!”
Sweet & strong
Jennifer started her journey with Pure Barre as a PB instructor in Houston six years ago. When she and her family moved to Lakeway in 2016, the stars aligned and she bought the studio. The Pure Barre Lakeway studio is located in Lohman’s Crossing at 2300 Lohman’s Spur in the same shopping center as Chair King.
For any LTers who have lived in the area for a while, you know that’s one of the shopping centers that’s been around since back in the day. While the location is wonderful, Jennifer had to deal with the unexpected dilemma of letting locals know there was, in fact, a Pure Barre studio right near them. For example, residents living in The Hills and Flintrock didn’t even need to access 620 to get there.
It’s a pesky obstacle Lake Travis area business owners understand all too well. How can a shopping center exist for decades, and yet nobody knows what’s there? Of course, Jennifer had the support of the loyal Pure Barre customers who had been going to the studio for years. Then the shopping center itself got a much-needed makeover and new signage. Fast forward to today, and the studio is thriving.
What is Pure Barre anyway?
The concept behind Pure Barre is small movements make significant changes. Inspired by ballet at the bar, Pure Barre is a low impact workout that tones and builds muscles by isolating and fatiguing them. It’s a full-body workout that does fantastic things for core strength. The goal is long, lean muscles without the bulk.
Pure Barre offers four types of classes: Classic, Empower, Reform, and Foundations. Classic is all about low-impact with high intensity. Empower classes take it up a notch with more cardio, the addition of wrist weights/ankle weights and a nifty little platform. It’s like the sophisticated version of aerobics from the early ’90s, without grapevine. Reform uses more resistance training with bands and sliders and challenges your strength with coordination. For beginners, the Foundations class is a great way to start.
My personal story
Back in August 2014, I shared my experience as a newbie to Pure Barre. At that time, my physical health was in turmoil due to a herniated L5. Let’s say my normal day-to-day life was overshadowed by crippling pain 24/7, and I was frantic to find relief. Due to the nature of my injury, I didn’t have many options. Walking at a slow pace was painful, so anything beyond that was impossible.
My physical therapist kept telling me if I didn’t want to have surgery, I had to slowly start rehabilitating and rebuilding my core and back muscles – think about your internal girdle that holds you upright, taking the pressure off of your spine. Oh, and I needed to do it standing up. Hmm.
Enter Pure Barre. For the first year, it wasn’t easy, but it was manageable. Instructors were aware of my back injury and helped me modify movements so that I wouldn’t hurt myself. That’s one of the great things about Pure Barre. You can change it as much as you need and still get a fantastic workout.
Five years later, I’m back to the activities I love, and I’m still doing Pure Barre. Whether it’s running or playing tennis or doing the obstacle course at Waterloo or ax throwing at High 5, I can do it all 95% pain-free. It’s a blessing I’m thankful for every day.
If you want to lift, tone, and burn, stop by Pure Barre Lakeway and see what’s shaking.
What’s your favorite workout in the Lake Travis area? Let us know in the comments section on our Facebook page.
