1. We have NO SHAME. We aren’t afraid to breathe hard, curse out loud, moan, shake from head to toe, make ugly “I’m dying” facial expressions or get our cute workout clothes stained with sweat. Been there, DONE THAT.

 

2. Our bodies were hijacked for several months… it’s nice to be in control again. The “before” picture was inevitable, the “after” image is entirely up to us.

 

3. We know things don’t happen overnight. A baby takes months to develop so we can allow ourselves time to regain strength, feel healthier and see results.

 

4. We never hit the snooze button to blow off class… because we’re already up! And we all know we won’t be getting any extra rest if we skip class.

 

5. We’re always doing laundry (spit up anyone?) so our workout clothes are always ready to go.

 

6. We are fearless… I mean come on, we just grew a baby, birthed it and nourished it with our bodies… we can handle that second round of seat work!

 

7. We love that class is a judgment-free zone. Our parenting skills and techniques are constantly criticized so it’s nice to be in a space where we feel supported.

 

8. We secretly hope working out extra hard will extend our “no period” days.

 

9. We cry… A LOT… our hormones are completely out of whack. So if that third round of thighs brings us to tears, this is nothing new. We say BRING IT.

 

10. No amount of physical pain will ever match childbirth – We endured labor and delivery, so we can hold on for just 10 more seconds.

 

11. Speaking of 10 seconds… this is not the first time we’ve felt an overwhelming amount of relief, satisfaction and pride after pushing for just 10 more seconds. The 10 second push is our jam!

 

12. Going to class is as much – if not more – about health as about the way we look. We’ve got tiny humans depending on us to live a looooong time.

 

13. We are giving up time with our kids – leaving a messy house – putting off laundry – letting work wait – ordering in – paying for a baby sitter – working that breast pump overtime – to be at barre. For everything that we are giving up, we work hard to make it worthwhile.

 

14. On the flip side. We NEED this time away… it’s called ME time. At barre there are no crying babies, screaming toddlers or whiny teens. We work hard to bring our practice inward and shut out the daily distractions. We need this mental “break” from… LIFE.

 

15. Barre is necessary physically too. We actually NEED to be stronger. Moms need to schlep, carry, push, squat, hold, pack, bend, run and endure.

 

16. Barre class might actually be the only time we leave the house all day.

 

17. The music gets us extra pumped. After listening to “The Wheels on the Bus” for the 18th time in a row, going to barre is like hitting the night club.

 

18. All of our money now goes to our kids, so when we drop some dough on ourselves we want to get our money’s worth.

 

19. We know how to breathe during ab work. Lamaze much?

 

20. We know what it’s like to have “zero” abs after pregnancy… yeah, we don’t want to feel like that anymore.

 

21. We don’t mind getting sweaty. After some of the other bodily fluids we’ve been introduced to since motherhood, sweat ain’t so bad.

 

22. We stay hydrated. Gotta keep that milk supply going!

 

23. We have a steller mind/body connection. Again, back to the whole “we just birthed a baby” thing.

 

24. We are very familiar with contractions – barre contractions have NOTHING on real contractions… and it’s nice to be able to control them.

 

25. We have excellent balance. Learning to do everything with one arm while holding a baby in your other – and a toddler on your back – and groceries hanging off of your arms – while pushing a stroller which is stacked to the gills with “stuff” – will do that. Not to mention, the new talent of picking things up with your toes while holding a baby.

 

26. We know magic exists. Our bodies transformed and we created a human. So, we can transform them once again to create that flawless crease between our butt and our thighs. We believe!

 

27. We work extra hard to hear our name called out in class. Our real name, not our new name…”mom, mama, mommy, mom…”

 

28. We work hard to get that compliment because it may be the only one we’ll receive all day.

 

29. We gave up on being perfect a long time ago. We are acutely aware that striving to be the best version of ourselves is the real goal.

 

30. We don’t have time for any other workouts. This is the most efficient use of our time so we are going to make every second count.

 

31. We like the way class is structured. It mirrors real life. We strive for this same type of structure and routine at home but also appreciate (or curse) the random happenings that occur within that structure. (THAT’s the thigh exercise we’re doing today?! Did my baby just take off their poopy diaper and smear it all over their crib?!)

 

32. We know how to isolate *very *tiny *muscles. We’ve been using tiny little movements to squeeze tiny little muscles for a while.

 

33. Being a new parent is like being new to barre. There are many parallels. >> 10 Ways Being a New Parent is Like Being New to Barre

 

34. We support each other. We don’t have time or energy to compete with anyone else.

 

35. We feed off of each other. If the mama next to us is cursing out loud and breathing like a horse… it makes us go deeper, try harder, push farther and sink our seat an inch lower.

 

36. We are inspired by each other. We know we all have a hard gig and if the mama next to us is here even with those dark circles under her eyes and messy bun, well we’ll push through to the 10 count in honor of that!

 

37. We go THERE. You know, that place you had to go to as you labored for hours. Yes, we go back THERE.

 

**Mahalo to fellow Pure Barre Maui mama, Katie Acpal, for contributing to this blog!**

 

Other Blogs You May Be Interested In: 

After 100 classes, 10 Things I’ve Learned About Barre

Getting My Pre-Baby Body Back

Ten Ways Being New to Barre is Like Being a New Parent