A Women-Only Studio: the advantages of catering exclusively to women.

I’m sure by now you’ve discovered that Redlands Barre is a women-only fitness studio. You may be wondering why we chose to take that route? Why do we choose to be so exclusive? Don’t guys like Barre and Pilates too? 

Of course there’s plenty of men out there who love the benefits of Barre and Pilates. Even though we enjoy a good “Bae at the Barre Night”, we’ve chosen to create a women-centric space built and run by women, for women, and their specific needs. 

Working out, and moving our bodies can be an extremely vulnerable activity for us ladies. If you are anything like me, you may not feel comfortable in a general gym setting doing thrusters or squats, in yoga pants, in front of strangers. The thought of that alone can deter some people from going to the gym and doing the critical work required for their health. By opening our space to specifically women, we’ve created a space where women can feel safe to move confidently, without the worry of unwanted onlookers. They can focus on what matters—the workout! 

In addition to creating a safe environment, we also realize that women’s bodies are different than men’s bodies. We build our workout programs to target the areas of the body that women care about most: core strength, glutes and thighs, upper-body definition, and flexibility. Even though men tend to care about these things too, they may focus on building muscle and strength in a different way, and with different priorities. As a result, their exercises will reflect those priorities, whether it be the muscle focus, the exercise used to target a muscle, length of time spent on a particular muscle group, and a number of other factors. At Redlands Barre, we take your priorities into account. We guide you through workouts that hit each area of your body that you care about the most, every single time. 

Along with the workouts being tailored to women, we’re also able to create an environment where women can connect with one another.  It’s so important to have other like-minded individuals around you who you look forward to seeing in class. It creates a culture of accountability and comradery. Think back to a time when you wanted to take a break from “seated chair” at the barre, but you saw your friend struggling through the burn, sweating right alongside you, not giving up, and that motivated you to stick with it a little longer. That type of community leads to long-term commitment to healthy habits that may not have existed otherwise. Community is one of the biggest factors that lead to my own success in fitness, and some of my most meaningful relationships were born right here in the studio! I know many of us could say the same. 

Within the community, there’s freedom to be yourself! We welcome each woman as she is, wherever she is at in her journey. We see a variety of ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities. We want women to feel confident in themselves and their bodies. Not everyone shows up to the studio with the same goals. Some women want to lose weight, some women want to get stronger, feel better in their clothes, go on hikes with their friends, or simply keep up with their kids. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, whatever your goal is—seemingly big or small, we are rooting for you, and you have a place here. 

We love to empower women to unleash the strength within them. Not just physical strength, but mental fortitude as well. It’s a more holistic approach to fitness. Our instructors and staff know the importance of encouragement during a workout, and know just how to push each person just to the brink of what they think they’re capable of. There’s something particularly gratifying about finishing a workout and thinking “I’m stronger than I thought!” Or “I couldn’t touch my toes before, but now I can!” We love celebrating those victories with you, because they’re huge wins, and proof that the needle is moving closer to the goal.  

As women, we have unique stresses in life. We’re often the main caretakers for our children, many of us work, make sure the household is running like a well-oiled machine, or a combination of all three. Add on top of that, making sure we’re taking care of ourselves, leaving time for friends or relationships, staying on top of our nutrition, the new family puppy, vacations, a side dish for the church potluck, taking the car for an oil change, grocery shopping, dinner, dishes, laundry, the list goes on. Maybe you only identify with one or two of these things, but the fact remains, we have unique stressors in our lives. If we can take time away from it all to clear our minds, breathe, move our bodies, soothe the nervous system, and focus on our own wellbeing, we’re better able to be present in all other areas of life. For many women, Redlands Barre serves as a place to get away from the laundry list of things to do, and just have an hour to themselves. And the best part? We get it!! We have our own laundry list of things to do, too. We understand the nuances of what it means to be a woman. And because of that, we’re better able to prop you up and give you to the support you need to be successful. 

When I founded the studio, I was faced with the choice to allow men into the space, or not. From a business perspective, it would make sense to allow men, because, well—More potential customers! But, it was incredibly important to me that women have a place where they can feel safe. I wanted a place where women’s bodies can be celebrated and strengthened. Where ladies could encourage and push one another. Ally an I have witnessed the impact that choice has had on so many women’s lives, and we are fiercely protective of this beautiful space we’ve created because of it.  

We proudly hold space just for you, beautiful woman.