Barre with Justine

Graceful fitness for real, busy lives.

Fitness inspired by ballet, Pilates, and yoga — and lifestyle tips from a mom of three who knows what it’s like to have no time!

● Latest posts
  • All about gua sha…

    All about gua sha…

    Gua sha is a great way to bring mindfulness to your beauty routine…the how-tos, tips, and best tools!

  • training the glutes

    training the glutes

    How and why to train the glutes PLUS why barre works the glute so well!

  • Wellness at Work: loneliness

    Wellness at Work: loneliness

    thoughts on how we can reconnect with work colleagues.

  • The power of perfume

    The power of perfume

    When I worked as a fragrance demo, I saw the full range of responses to perfume. The only downside to the job (which paid exceptionally…

● About Me

I’m Justine, the creator of this blog and a full-time academic librarian, with a passion for fitness.

I believe that everyone deserves to feel valued and strong in their own body. My love of movement started in ballet, where I learned that strength and grace aren’t opposites — and my life as a busy, working mom of three taught me that self-care has to be realistic to matter. I bring both of those things into every class: grace, positivity, and the belief that you are worthy of feeling good.

✨Heavy weights are not the only way to get strong - time under tension, mindful movement, and consistency will take you there. Barre will challenge your muscles in so many ways AND you can feel like a dancer while you work out 🩰 Monday nights are for stretching 🧘‍♀️ 🧑‍🩰this is my youngest daughter’s favourite song - and it makes a great Balletone song too! 🩰 ✨always be kind - that’s the one thing I want my kids to always remember! 🫢Confession: there are weeks when my body feels burned out, with no desire to work out. ✨Will I miss the squabbling? Probably not 😀 ✨I hesitated to post this because I do have mixed feelings about portion control and measuring food. If you disagree with my take, I get it! But at the same time, tracking my portions has really helped me find balance over the years - including a gruelling second round of IVF. 👀teasing some new Pilates (did you like my pun? 😄)…come next week for some amazing new classes at @goodlife.st.catharines ✨ found: the perfect summer quote!