Business Spotlight: Barre3

EAST COUNTY — Paulina Manning didn’t know how to use a machine at a local gym, so she approached Beth Woods.

“I saw this woman who looked like she knew what she was doing,” Manning said. “That’s where our friendship started.” 

Six years later, the duo lives and works side by side.

Three years after the women developed a friendship at the gym, the Manning family purchased a house next door to Woods on Siesta Key.

On March 2, they officially opened their first business as co-owners — Barre3 — on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

The shopping strip’s newest fitness facility is a franchise of a nationwide company that intertwines the practices of ballet, Pilates and yoga, in one-hour classes. Class times range, but the studio is open every day.

A Portland-based company, Barre3 focuses on isometric holds, 1-inch movements, and low-impact moves that involve a larger range of motion. The exercises strengthen smaller muscle groups as well as tone and sculpt larger muscles groups, Woods said.

The fitness routine isn’t designed to help individuals “bulk up,” the women agreed. The exercises are also adjustable and can be modified to suit participants’ needs, such as pregnancy or an injury.

“Giving someone a positive experience for that one hour will help make the other 23 hours of the day better.” — Beth Woods, co-owner of Barre3 on Lakewood Ranch Main Street

Barre3 features a studio with one mirror wall and three walls with ballet barres, capable of holding up to 27 participants per session. 

The facility also features a shower, retail shop at the front of the building and children’s play area. Having the play area was an important aspect for the women, who view the Ranch as a family-focused community.

“We want women or men to be able to stop by for a class and still have that safe place for their kids to stay while they exercise,” Woods said. 

The “signature formula,” designed by Barre3 founder Sadie Lincoln, centers on satisfying the three B’s: balance, boundless and bright, from the exercises that improve stability and posture, to the LED lights and natural sunlight that spill through the windows lining Main Street.

“We want everyone to feel welcome when they come into our space,” Woods said. 

Lincoln’s concept also focuses on three ideas that stretch beyond the barre: exercise, nourish and connect.

After years as a personal trainer on Lido and Longboat keys, Woods is excited to embark on her next fitness journey, alongside her friend, neighbor and business partner.

“We’re really passionate about this,” Woods said. “We want this location to become a ‘home away from home’ for our clients.”

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].