Most Wednesday mornings, my neighbor and I start our day at barre3 together. We plan our classes so that a workout doubles as a mini midweek catch-up. We sweat, we chat and it’s a win for friendship time and exercise.

Barre3 is as much a neighborhood spot as it is a fitness studio. A big part of that is Hannah, the owner. She set the tone from day one, so upbeat and personable that you can’t help but leave energized.

When barre3 opened in Biltmore Park Town Square in January of this year, I figured I’d try a class since it’s five minutes from my house. Fifty classes later, it’s one of my favorite parts of the week.

The other thing I love is how easily barre3 fits into real life. When a free hour opens up, I can pop right over, and my kid actually asks to come along. The play lounge supervisor genuinely plays with the kids the whole time, so mine is happily entertained while I’m in class. Then the benefits of this workout follow me home. Barre3 calls their approach “functional training,” and I believe it. I feel that strength every time I scoop up my 38-pound kid or decide the living room furniture needs rearranging again.

Barre3 is a true community space in our neighborhood, and I’m already looking forward to my next class.