Community Story: Elissa

Two Injuries and a Baby

In 2008, I was rear-ended on a busy Vancouver street. It wasn’t catastrophic but it messed with my pelvis, back, and neck. Thankfully, with the help of serious medical help and a steady barre practice on the west coast, my 23-year-old body bounced back quickly.

Ten years later, I relocated to Hamilton. My injury flared up thanks to a new sedentary work-from-home life. This time, it was in the form of a disc bulge. Pain shot down my right leg and into my foot. Not awesome.

Life was hectic so I ignored the discomfort. I kept moving through my days operating in survival mode. Three kids, a new city, and mountains for work—mama could barely slow down.

Eventually, my husband called me out and prompted me to take care of myself and seek help.

“I don’t need help. I just need to get back into barre classes,” I told him. I knew they could help me again. I just didn’t know of a great studio. To be honest, I hadn’t really looked into it.

I also had a hard time justifying the cost. Our family’s move was expensive. Our budget was lean. Plus, when I lived in Vancouver, my employer paid for barre classes as part of my employee benefits. I didn’t know how I felt about spending my own money on a fitness regime. Privileged, I know. 

At that point, procrastination and penny-pinching won. I didn’t take up barre. I continued to neglect my body. I moved through the pain. 

This, of course, made my disc bulge retaliate. The pain increased to the point where I needed medical attention before setting foot in any fitness studio. I located a physiotherapist and started investing heavily in treatment. So much for penny-pinching.

Ironically, neglecting my self-care cost me thousands. It took six weeks of expensive treatment to get back on my feet. Looking back, I’m annoyed I didn’t prioritize my health sooner. I could have saved time and money. Thank God I acted when I did, though. I unexpectedly got pregnant.

I panicked. My body lacked the structural integrity to carry extra weight. I knew I needed to get strong in record time in order to make it safely through my pregnancy. I knew I needed barre classes fast.

I located Fit Barre and purchased the trial membership. I committed to taking three classes a week.

It was humbling at first. Barre is simple but it is not easy. Every muscle shook like crazy. My core and lower body were weaker than ever before. It messed with my head.

But I quickly put away my pride. I asked for help to make sure I was doing everything correctly. The kind instructors told me it was part of the process.They helped me modify exercises to suit my delicate state and make sure I didn’t injure myself. 

I stayed consistent. Within just two weeks, I noticed my strength improving dramatically. By the time my 5-week trial was over, my husband and I agreed: I was a new woman. 

My posture was noticeably stronger. I moved through my days with ease. My nerve pain nearly vanished. The lean muscle I acquired boosted my metabolism and to my surprise, I actually lost inches despite becoming pregnant. I got to enjoy my regular wardrobe until the end of my second trimester.

Fit Barre’s incredible workout renewed my body and mind. I sailed through my pregnancy, all things considered. Best of all, the transformation happened in the context of a friendly community. Fit Barre feels like home.

My only regret is that I didn’t invest in Fit Barre sooner. Proactive self-care could have spared my back and saved myself a ton of money. Oh well. Live and learn. :)