All around Nashville there are many new, trendy exercise studios to get a great workout, but many of these fitness classes are impersonal, outrageously expensive and only last for an hour of your day. I checked out barre3 at Paddock Place and spoke with the co-owner of the studio, Holly Coltea, and I can definitely say that barre3 is an extremely rewarding choice for not just a great workout but for fostering a sense of community and personal motivation.

Barre3 is unique in that the classes aren’t just centered on yoga, pilates or barre, but rather all three combined.  We did really unique exercises I had never encountered before that engaged muscles I never knew I had. The workout was centered on balance, finding a deep burn in the legs and core through a mixture of yoga, pilates, and barre poses, and engaging not only the body but the mind to unwind and refresh. You’ll leave the class sweaty but completely recharged after activating muscles you don’t normally use.  

Coltea explains that this effect of refreshment and clarity has been her intention since barre3 opened at Paddock Place.

“My ideal is to create an environment where Nashvillians feel very welcome and unintimidated, and they get a kick-butt workout in a way that is smart for and kind on their body,” she said. “There’s no other place in Nashville where I can go and get my heart-rate up but also achieve a really strong mind-body connection.”

She also explains that barre3 is not just a “barre studio” but rather a community that practices a healthy lifestyle. The 3 in the name “barre3” is actually the most important part of the name and the brand: the three core values of barre3 are exercise, nourishment, and connection.

“My goal is to educate our clients in a way where they leave here and all day long feel taller, make wiser food choices, and get better sleep,” she said. “This workout is the starting point for a whole lifestyle of smart choices.”

To create this lifestyle, barre3 has partnered with nutritionists to post recipes on their online magazine and has reached out into the local area to partner with philanthropies and other organizations to offer classes to the community. The sense of community in the studio itself is overwhelming: at six a.m. on a Thursday, in a full class of thirty people, most everyone knew each other, knew Coltea (who is not just the co-owner but also an instructor), and clearly had established barre3 as part of their weekly morning routine. Coltea knew each student and knew what their typical endurance level was—she always encouraged students to modify an exercise if it wasn’t feeling right for them or was too much. Even though the studio is small, the community of barre3 in Nashville is much larger.  

For Coltea, the most rewarding part of being a co-owner for barre3 has been seeing how her business and lifestyle is positively affecting not only her children but other young girls as well. “The power of a woman opening a business about wellness and seeing my children witness that has been incredible,” she said. “Every woman struggles with body image, and the earlier you can influence girls with the idea of ‘healthy body, healthy mind,’ the more set up for success they are in life. I want to imprint on my three children—and hopefully others as well—the importance of wellness.”

Barre3 is located at Paddock Place as well as The Gulch, and offers classes every day of the week. Whether you’re looking for a great new workout studio, you want to kickstart a healthy lifestyle, or you simply just want to start getting into fitness, I recommend barre3.  

The first 25 students who call or come in with the promo code: “hustler” will receive 3 free classes.