(Photo above: Erin Anderson Griffith | courtesy of Pure Barre)
There’s no doubt that Pure Barre is shining bright among various fitness locations in Bend. The fitness center prides itself on being able to shape every body and fit any schedule. The Pure Barre technique is low-impact, protecting your joints by avoiding any bouncing or jumping. Each strength section of the workout is followed by a stretching section in order to create long, lean muscles without bulk.
The concentration involved while taking Pure Barre allows you to block life out for the hour, creating the mental benefits similarly obtained by the practice of yoga or meditation. Success of Pure Barre in Bend can be drawn back to the talented instructors and owner Erin Anderson Griffith.
Griffith’s involvement with the company developed not from previous business experience, but from being an avid client at Pure Barre locations in both Bozeman, Montana and the Bay Area. “I was previously teaching Art History in Montana, and found that I had a chance to escape that academic immersion whenever I would work out,” says Griffith. “I was able to shut off my brain and focus on the moment I was in. It completely changed my outlook on life, and allowed me to be more easy-going and relaxed in my day-to-day activities.”
Once her and her husband decided to move to Bend, Griffith wanted to focus on other aspects of her life, which involved maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A Pure Barre owner in the Bay Area mentioned the opportunity of having more locations within Oregon to Griffith, and everything from there fell into place. “It’s been a crazy experience, but balancing teaching classes with owning a business has been rewarding,” she says. “The time and energy that each instructor puts into classes and caring for clients really shows, and it’s all been a great learning process.”
When it comes to running the business, Griffiths is always looking for more opportunities to make Pure Barre accessible to more people. She recently provided Pure Barre Lite classes, for those who might be a little overwhelmed by the high energy of other classes. “We live in such an affluent city with people involved in so many different disciplines of outdoor and physical activity,” Griffith says. “Our classes challenge the mind as well as the body. I want the people in Bend, with their broad range of interests, to come together in a fun, relaxing environment, and I hope that I have achieved that.”
