Ashley Averwater knows firsthand that a mother can only take care of her children as well as she can take care of herself. As a mother of two young daughters, she spends her day teaching women how to prioritize their health through a safe, modifiable, and effective workout, even while pregnant, at Neighborhood Barre Memphis. Nowadays, when prenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues are on the rise, the importance of self-care and prioritization of self is not lost on Ashley.
“We have so many clients that come into our studio expecting, and it is always the first thing we talk to them about – modify, modify, modify to what feels good for your body. But don’t give up. Prioritizing time for yourself, working up a sweat, and taking that 50-minute “brain break” can provide emotional and mental clarity to a woman who is busy doing something as important as growing a human,” Ashley, owner of Neighborhood Barre, said.
And the clients see the benefit of their prioritization as soon as baby time draws near. “Neighborhood Barre has been an important part of my life for the past few years. It has been the place I go to have “me time,” and the killer workout has always been a bonus. When I got pregnant, it became harder to get myself there, but as my pregnancy progressed, I was encouraged to keep working out. I decided if I was going to keep moving, Neighborhood Barre would be the place. Was class easy during my pregnancy? No. Did I have to make lots of modifications? Yes. But did it make delivery and recovery easier? ABSOLUTELY. I can truly say that Neighborhood Barre made my pregnancy and birth experience so much better. I felt that my body was prepared for labor, and I had an easier (although not to say it was easy by any stretch of the imagination) time recovering. I could not be more thankful for the amazing instructors throughout my pregnancy who encouraged me to keep going and the friendly faces that made just showing up worth it. I am happy to be back and can’t wait to reach my next milestone class” − Neighborhood Barre client Lauren, new mother of Hayden.
As they walk alongside so many clients like Lauren during their pregnancy, Ashley and the team at Neighborhood Barre Memphis noticed a gap in options for new mothers to heal physically and emotionally, take time for self-care, and find a community of mothers to do it with. This is where the idea of the newest series by Neighborhood Barre was born. Introducing Babies at the Barre – a six-week series for postnatal moms to nurse you back to YOU.
Babies at the Barre is a postpartum fitness series for new mamas of all stages to connect, get back into working out safely, and find community WITH their baby in tow! Clients will feel safe to ask questions and try modifications that will work for each woman’s postnatal stage, while the class will be offered at a slower pace but still provide the same low-impact burn barre is known for.
Additionally, clients can bring their new babies to the workout on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m., so they are free to tend to them and not have to schedule childcare or coverage to prioritize their health. Each class will also feature a different speaker from Mojo Pelvic Health or Hannah Leach, doula, on essential postpartum recovery tips and health.
Interested mothers can sign up for the new postnatal series at neighborhoodbarre.com/location/nb-memphis. The cost of the six-week series is $150, or $30 per drop-in class. Discounted rates are offered to current members. For questions or additional information, email memphis@neighborhoodbarre.com.
