Xtend Barre Brooklyn is a boutique fitness studio located in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, specializing in Pilates and Barre classes, owned and operated by Brooklyn native Kristine Storie. Kristine describes her clients as, “dynamic and accomplished women who are juggling a multitude of competing priorities, often finding themselves short on ‘me time’ as a consequence.” Xtend Barre Brooklyn’s schedule is jam-packed with 55 weekly classes, designed to work for any busy lifestyle, including programs geared towards new and expectant moms, as well as babysitting services during select classes. Their popular mommy & me barre class, Xtend Barre Babies on Board is offered 5 days a week and is the perfect solution for new moms looking to reconnect with their bodies while sharing some bonding time with baby.
We talked to studio owner and Barre Instructor Kristine Storie, who left the world of finance to follow her passion.
We love that you offer a Babies on Board class! Tell us how it works and why this is a good workout for new moms.
Xtend Barre Babies on Board is a REAL workout class! Baby is in a secure carrier while mom strengthens and tones her whole body. Typically, our baby clients sleep through class, giving mom an opportunity to focus on herself. Expect to sweat and burn! We recommend a secure carrier with snaps such as Bjorn or Ergo. The maximum suggested weight is 18 pounds. Your first Babies on Board class is absolutely free, sign up online by following this link.
How is Xtend Barre different from Pilates or a strength training class at most gyms?
The class itself is incredibly well designed in that it offers a balanced, full-body workout incorporating both strength and cardio training. The workout is set to up-tempo music, giving the class a dance-like quality, so the hour passes quickly. In a word, the class is a ton of FUN. On top of that, a huge benefit to working out at our studio is the small class size and individualized attention. Xtend Barre is derived from a Pilates background, and therefore we are sticklers about posture and alignment and proper form. We take great pride in knowing our clients: their names, their bodies, injury profile, and strengths and weakness, and we take each client on a personalized journey to improve their strength and endurance at a pace that is safe and appropriate for them.
What if someone has never taken a ballet class or doesn’t consider themselves particularly graceful – can they get the hang of it?
Absolutely, positively! Xtend Barre is NOT a dance class. It is an exercise class, inspired by dance (ballet) movements. Most of our clients (including myself) have zero background in ballet, but after just a few Xtend Barre classes, you will have your basic ballet terminology down pat (1st position, tendu, arabesque, etc). We offer an Xtend Barre Technique class 4 times per week which breaks it down even further, but all of our classes are taught to all levels so if a Technique class doesn’t fit into your schedule, not to worry, our instructors offer modifications and advancements in every class to tailor the class to each participant.
Finally, tell us how you came to be a studio owner and instructor coming from Finance.
I worked in Finance for 15 years before opening up an Xtend Barre studio. I lived all over the country, and worked at all sorts of companies, ranging from very large Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups. I had a great career and was successful by all conventional measures, but I was not inspired. I’ve always wanted to own my own business, but never had an idea that I was passionate about. I discovered Xtend Barre back in 2010 while living in Washington, DC, and was absolutely blown away by the workout and how people responded to it. I knew that it was the “golden ticket” and so I became certified and taught for a couple of years before moving back to my hometown to open up Xtend Barre Brooklyn in Feb 2014.
Thanks so much to Kristine for speaking with us and inspiring us to get moving! If you have a baby under 18lbs, be sure to try her FREE trial Babies on Board class ASAP (babies don’t stay small for long)! You can check out her class schedule here and read more about all the mom-friendly classes (Pre-natal, Babies on Board, and Babysitting options) at www.xtendbarrebh.com.
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