“How did you get involved with bari?” That’s the first question people ask me after they look at bari’s roster of incredible trainers. As a mom of two, I’m not the cookie cutter fitness instructor among our team of twenty-somethings. But here I am — a mom, a fitness enthusiast and a bari trainer and studio co-manager. So how did I get here?

Let me first say that I have always loved the fitness world, probably in part because I’m a very competitive person. When I got pregnant with my first daughter I envisioned that I’d be that cute pregnant mom who doesn’t look pregnant from behind and walks on the treadmill daily to keep my figure. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I gained 40 pounds, a double chin and cellulite on my legs and butt. Strangers randomly approached me to offer predictions I was having a girl - which, as you all know, means they thought I was huge (not a compliment to a growing-by-the-day pregnant woman).

After having my daughter (the strangers were right, after all), I had taken off most of that weight and then got pregnant with my second daughter. My stomach literally popped the second I found out I was pregnant again, and I just tried to hide my figure behind big baggy clothes the entire pregnancy, avoiding all cameras. Unfortunately my second baby girl was a September baby which meant I got to show off my biggest body (ever) during the summer months at exactly the same time my husband was training for triathlons and getting fitter/leaner by the day.

Post baby I counted down the days until I could start working out again and vowed to take off all the baby weight and get strong (not skinny… but strong!) I sought out challenges both physically and mentally that would get me back in shape and provide personal goals to accomplish. Two summers ago I completed my first sprint triathlon! Last April I completed my first half-marathon. I did every workout under the sun (kickboxing, spinning, running, bootcamps,etc). I’m in better shape now than I was before I had kids, and I am always on the lookout for the workout that is going to give me the best results and greatest challenge.

Knowing that both my girls would be starting preschool this past fall, I was looking for an opportunity in the fitness world (which, prior to bari, I had never been a part of) for a few mornings when they were at school. I’d caught wind of bari earlier in the year via a Facebook announcement about bari opening a studio in Summit. After investigating, I was intrigued. Trampolines, sensory cardio, bands from the ceiling, skimmers and balls? I had never used or seen these in an exercise class, and I’ve been to my fair share of classes. I immediately signed up for their newsletter, and when I learned in late May that they were opening and offering a free first class, I signed up with high expectations.

I was hooked after the first class and immediately emailed the studio manager to find out about training opportunities! Instructor auditions were scheduled a few weeks later. So with no formal background in fitness instruction, a required headshot that I got from Picture People at the Willowbrook mall (yes, I was embarrassed sitting in the waiting room with little kids!) and a perplexed husband who still didn’t understand what bari was, I tried out and was offered the opportunity to go through (and hopefully survive) an intensive bari training. Over the next two months, I attended bari classes 5 times a week, drove into Tribeca weekly for training sessions, received the best mentoring from our senior team of trainers and had a VERY supportive family. On August 1st I became a bari trainer!

I noticed a HUGE difference in my body within two weeks of starting the method. My oblique muscles were defined, my butt lifted and my legs, which tended to bulk up from all the running, completely leaned out. Hello, #baribody.

The results were more than welcomed, but connecting to other moms in class has been the most gratifying experience for me. I get their frustration that, post baby, our bodies have changed. And the fact that our bodies have new weak zones and trouble spots. And it’s because I know all of these frustrations and moments of doubt so well that I get so inspired to introduce them to a workout that really works. I get so excited to help them fall in love with their workout (I’m a walking example that this is possible!) and with their bodies. The results I have seen from taking bari classes are undeniable, and, if you haven’t fallen head over heels for bari yet, you’re only a few classes away from becoming bariddicted!

Having bari come into my life has been so much more than just a workout. Seeing the changes in my body has been rewarding, but this overwhelmingly positive lifestyle has made me a happier person. While I sometimes feel like a walking advertisement for bari, I truly believe the endorphins released in class have made me a better mom, wife and person.