News
February 25, 2016Seasoned Fitness Specialist and Entrepreneur Collaborate to Launch BarreFlow
Karli Taylor and Jodi Druzba, experts in the fitness industry, have brought their talents together to launch a new wellness concept coined BarreFlow, a comprehensive program for all levels that combines a barre exercise workout with aspects of yoga and pilates. The class strongly focuses on proper posture and alignment to achieve results. Barre itself is a workout routine that uses a ballet barre and some basic elements of dance set to upbeat music.
The concept behind BarreFlow, a unique variation on Barre, is the brainchild of Taylor who has spent years working in the fitness industry. She has always placed a great deal of emphasis on alignment and doing exercises in a way that will achieve results while keeping the body feeling great with less strain and injury. “I created BarreFlow because I felt there was a need for a barre workout that made sense. I had tried a few classes and couldn’t understand the logic behind them, so I wanted to develop my own that focused on alignment and a knowledge of anatomy.” Once on the path to a Ph.D. in criminology, Taylor’s passion and knowledge in the fitness industry won out and she quickly became a success in the field. She is currently the owner of a yoga and fitness studio in the Albany, NY, region. In past years she has held a top position managing personal trainers within a popular northeast fitness chain.
Druzba, who works closely in partnership with her husband Joe, founder of Average Joe’s Fitness, has been on the lookout for solid fitness programs to bring to the facility. When she came across BarreFlow she fell in love with the concept because she herself could see results and felt better overall after each class. She decided to formally offer the concept to clients at Average Joe’s Fitness. “We compared the BarreFlow process to other programs in the industry and realized that most were missing some key components such as injury controls and successful outcomes. I began learning the concept and eventually gained enough knowledge and experience to become certified by Karli. The more I participated, the more I understood why there is an industry-wide need to create a comprehensive fitness program,” Druzba said. She offered a partnership opportunity to Taylor and they are now working to roll the concept out to studios and fitness centers.
BarreFlow is launching in the Albany, NY region, but the team will be taking the concept to additional markets such as Buffalo and North Carolina over the next few months. These are locations where Taylor has solid fitness connections.
Over the past few years, Barre classes have grown in popularity. However Taylor points out that the rapid growth of the trend has resulted in a lack of attention to the fundamentals of human movement in exchange for a gimmick or a spin to make each workout the “next big thing”. Taylor said, “We have our own niche. We focus on the way the human body moves and we address it with each element of the BarreFlow program.”
BarreFlow addresses common postural problems while focusing on the core and integrated movements. However, one of the unique qualities is a vinyasa-like structure to the class. With steady and flowing movements students are able to steady the mind and truly be present in the moment. The 45-minute class is for all levels of students.
Taylor is currently offering fitness instructors at studios and gyms a certification specifically to teach her program. She feels strongly that everyone should be certified to present BarreFlowâ to students. “Certifications provide quality control for business owners, safety and scientifically proven results for participants as well as continuing education for professionals,” she said.
In addition to helping people around the nation achieve incredible results Taylor and Druzba have other aspirations. “Our primary goal is to provide a safe and fun program that is accessible to anyone. On the business side of things, we want to raise the ‘barre’ in this growing niche market and have this brand in major health clubs everywhere.”
About BarreFlow:
BarreFlow is designed to give students of all fitness levels a challenging total body workout. While every class follows a similar flowing format, the exercises and choreography are continually changing to keep you from reaching a workout plateau. By combining aspects of yoga, pilates, barre fitness and classic strength training, BarreFlow incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility into one invigorating workout. The focus on posture and form and the smooth transitions between exercises will help even the most busy minded student become more present as concentration is necessary to get the most out of this class. BarreFlow will help you achieve a balanced body and a quiet mind in only 45 minutes!
