Lights dim, music flowing, hand on the barre, she placed her foot in just the right position and mimicked the instructor’s subtle movements, feeling the burn with each repetition.
“Pure Barre was super different than any kind of workout I had ever done before,” Lauren Williamson says. “I loved the challenge and how I felt afterwards. It left me wanting to come back for more.”
After that first class at the Carmel studio in 2012, Williamson was hooked.
“I quickly fell in love with the technique, the community at the studio and the results I was seeing,” Williamson says.
Today, Williamson owns that Carmel studio, along with one in Zionsville and a new location coming in Westfield.
Not long after taking her first class, Williamson began working at the front desk in addition to her day job teaching elementary school.
When she and her husband moved to Denver the following year, she looked for a Pure Barre close by, eventually stepping into the role of studio manager and getting certified to teach classes.
“That really got my wheels turning about someday owning my own studio,” Williamson recalls.
After moving back to Carmel, Williamson helped open a studio in Indianapolis. Near the end of 2021, the opportunity opened up for her to purchase the Carmel and Zionsville studios.
“It was definitely a full circle moment,” Williamson says. “We have very loyal members, so some of them are still here from 2012, and I still have two of the first teachers that helped open the Carmel studio.”
One of those two instructors is Courtney Smith who taught the first class Williamson attended. At that time, there was one standard Pure Barre class. Today, the studio offers classes in four different formats.
“There’s something for everybody,” Williamson says. “We have people of all fitness levels and all ages. We have people who are starting a fitness routine for the first time. We have people coming off injuries who need something that’s more low impact. It’s also great for aging populations. My mom comes to class all the time. I’ve done Pure Barre through my pregnancies. It is just great for people in so many walks of life.”
CLASS FORMATS (Side Headline Top, Page 3)
“Full classes are 50 minutes,” Williamson explains. “They all focus on strength, there’s just some variety in each of our formats.”
Classic is the signature barre class that is set to music and shows more of the ballet background. High repetitions of small movements aim to strengthen, tone and improve flexibility.
Empower provides a cardio-centric workout in a circuit model that gets the heart rate up.
Align focuses on balance and flexibility.
Define is a fusion of barre and classic weight training using dumbbells up to 20 lbs.
Pure Engage has just launched as a 30-minute sample class to give those new to Pure Barre a sample of what to expect.
“Everybody starts somewhere,’ Williamson says. “No one is an expert the first time they come in."
TO DO AT HOME (Side Headline Bottom, Page 3)
As always, check with your doctor before attempting any new exercises.
Forearm Plank
Come to your toes and forearms with your feet hip-width apart and forearms shoulder-width apart. Inhale. As you exhale pull your abs up towards your spine to engage your core. Tuck your hips under and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat the tuck and hold. Feel your entire core turn on to warm up your body!
Seated Stretch
Sitting, extend your right leg to the side, pointing your toe. Bend your left knee, folding your leg in toward your thigh. With your right arm down, reach your left arm overhead, leaning toward your extended leg. Hold to stretch. Rotate your chest toward your right thigh, reaching for your toes. Hold to stretch. Repeat on the other side.